Promise of a Lifetime
by alikat224
Summary: The sequel to Lifetime of Promises. Jason Morgan and Maxie Jones have been living a different life in south Florida raising his and Elizabeth's kids since her death several years ago. Their love story hits a crossroad that neither are sure will survive.
1. Chapter 1

Promise of a Lifetime ~ A Sequel to Lifetime of Promises ~ A Jason/Maxie story (Jaxie)

If you have not read Lifetime of Promises, you will probably still be able to read this but will have a hard time with things referenced. It is its own story but things mentioned from the first story will not be explained in full as I would normally do. I cannot say at this point in the game whether it will be too confusing. I highly suggest to anyone wanting to read this, to have already read Lifetime of Promises. If I'm posting this story, the prequel is at this site as well. Please note: The first part of this chapter was taken from Army Wives so I give their writers the credit they deserve. Aside from that, I own the story but not the four main characters or any other ABC/GH characters included.

**Chapter 1**

"Jason and Maxie...Some children are born to us others come into our lives by chance still others by choice..."

Maxie looked down at the beautiful little girl flailing her arms in the white knitted christening gown with the matching bonnet and booties. The contrast of the white satin to the white baby fine yarn almost sparkling against the magnificent colors beaming through the stained glass windows behind the altar at the church. She smiled and blew a kiss at the precious two month old in her arms. The priests words drew her attention to look up and out at the congregation. Sitting primly, between Mac and Monica, Jacob Martin and Cameron Alexander Johnson were both tugging at their ties and collars. Peripherally she could see their father doing the same thing.

The deep timbre in the priests voice drew her back to the baby blue eyes, eyes that matched the precious baby's grandmothers' and she smiled at the little life in her arms. The constricting vice around her heart was growing tighter by the minute until she could barely stem the flow of tears. That internal need was engulfing her and threatening to explode from within her.

"You are asked to act as her moral guides and protectors; through your example to the best of your ability she will learn the values of empathy and charity, kindness and beauty, honesty and freedom. Will you accept that charge?"

"We will" She and Jason both spoke at the same time. Jason's voice held the same crackled emotion as hers and Maxie couldn't help but look up into the steel blue eyes that bore into her soul.

"Will the congregation please stand and witness? As Alison Ann's extended family and community we ask that you all pledge your own commitment to this blessed child. Will you agree to be her loving examples to teach her through your kindness towards and your forgiveness to one another?"

"We will" Came the small group's reply.

Maxie felt Jason's calloused fingertips brush against her lower back where her dress opened in criss crossed patterns. The dress, a beautiful shell pink colored sundress, perfectly matched the tie Jason wore and the ribbon that ran through the baby's bonnet and booties. She took a half step forward toward the shell shaped bowl that held the Holy Water that the priest was currently using with his fingertips while he recited the Holy Rites of Baptism. His touch singed her and she couldn't fight the shiver that ran up her spine. She heard Jason let out a defeated sigh and her own eyes closed shut at the sound.

Her eyes opened when the priest, Father McMullins, pulled Alison Ann from her arms and Maxie suddenly felt the loss of the child's warmth. Jason shifted uncomfortably behind her but never attempted again to touch her. Maxie was grateful and terrified, relieved and destroyed all at once at the realization that he was giving up. If only for now.

Lifting her chin in a combination of courage and defiance she inhaled deeply and watched as Father McMullins picked up the pink rose with the red tips that Jason hand cut from their own garden that morning. She smiled thinking of Jake and his father arguing over which one was the best bloom for the ceremony.

"Alison Ann with this flower I touch your feet that you might stand against injustice...I touch your hands that you might reach for and grasp great wisdom...I touch your ears that you might hear music in the sacred silences...I touch your eyes that you might see beauty in every living thing...I touch your lips that you might speak the truth...finally I touch your heart that you might know love and give love graciously. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Alison Ann Shaffer."

~%~%~%~%~

"She really is a beautiful child Hannah." Bobbie commented as she placed the sleeping little girl in the bassinet.

As Godparents, Jason and Maxie both wanted her to have her own things at the Johnson house. The bassinet was one of four that Billy and Jason had made in Billy's new workshop in the new garage that was behind the house Billy and Hannah bought a block away. It was a new hobby for the boys since Maxie and Hannah had made them promise no more racing motorcycles and muscle cars.

The two had started going to the tracks after they found another motorcycle. They would race each other, motorcycle against muscle car, on the straight track. However, once Jason came home again banged up and then weeks later Hannah told Billy she was pregnant, their racing days ended.

It was either that or suffer at the hands of the women they loved.

Maxie had actually known Hannah was pregnant before Billy. Hannah wasn't sure and she and Billy had been planning to wait at least a year or two before starting a family. So in early September, when Hannah was so sick on a school clothes shopping trip for the boys, Maxie suggested that maybe it was more than a stomach flu.

They rushed home to Hannah and Billy's old house and ten minutes later were crying and jumping and laughing in the master bathroom. Immediately they both prayed for a girl because Junior, Cameron and Jake, not to mention Billy and Jason had taken over both houses with pool tables and matchbox cars, sling shots and sporting equipment. They wanted a girl to buy dolls for and frilly dresses and teach to paint toe nails and braid hair. Ballet shoes and pom poms to sit at the door next to cleats and baseball bats.

Maxie kept silent for two weeks until finally Hannah told Billy. Immediately, in a panic, Billy rushed over to Jason's and Jason gave Maxie a knowing look when he walked back in from the garage to grab a few more beers. Maxie had known and it explained so much of their own personal conversations within the few weeks time.

Immediately, Billy and Hannah looked for and bought the house around the corner. Hannah had always wanted to live in the neighborhood where her family was but their plans, just like starting a family, moved up a few years. The house was a two story, four bedroom, three bath house with a detached garage and work area. Jason and Billy spent all of their free time painting and refinishing and restoring it so they could move in.

Jake, the resident gardener, put Dale and Hannah's brothers to work on his landscaping design. It had a rock garden and small pond with a waterfall. The back yard was cleared of everything except some bushes along the fence lines and a large oak tree where the boys built a tree house, complete with a rope ladder and shutters for the windows. The front looked like a tropical resort with palms and banana trees, lots of flowering bushes and plants that complimented the coral paint and tan stucco of the house. On the east side of the house there were citrus trees planted that Jake knew would take a few years to produce quality fruit and rose bushes, just like he tended in his own yard.

Jason just knew that one day, he and Maxie would be watching the Home and Garden channel on cable and the Jake Johnson Show would be its most popular series.

Once they got Hannah, Billy and Junior settled into their new house by Christmas, renovations to their own house that Maxie wanted were well under way. Jason should have known something was up. All the signs were there, but he refused to see past his own happiness with their relationship and the status of their family to recognize all of the warning signs.

Maxie wanted to add another story to their house and put three bedrooms up there. Two equal sized rooms for the boys and a slightly larger play room. The play room downstairs was turned back into a traditional family room and Maxie relented and allowed the boys to make it a Tampa Bay Buccaneer and Rays sports themed room. Jakes old room was turned into a guest bedroom and Cameron's was opened up to enlarge the master suite by twenty square feet and include a small sitting room which Jason could have sworn he heard Maxie call a nursery at one point while chatting on the phone with Hannah. The master bathroom was also expanded to allow for a large garden jet tub with a huge one way glass window looking out on their new in-ground pool and one room pool house.

The house was finished by spring and by late April they were all enjoying the new pool.

That's when Jason and Billy started making the bassinets with the left over wood from the renovations to the house. One for Billy and Hannah's house, one for Vonnie's house, one for the Watson's house and one for their house. Jason kept saying there was no need for one at their house but early on, Billy and Hannah had asked them to be Godparents and Maxie insisted that Godparents would be babysitting just as often as Grandparents so they needed all of the accoutrements required so that the Shaffer's didn't have to lug all of their stuff from house to house.

Now, it was late July. Cameron was getting ready to skip another grade and start school as a nine year old fifth grader. Jake would be going into kindergarten and Maxie was opening another boutique, _Georgie's Couture II_, in Treasure Island just thirty minutes south of her original store. Brittany was starting her sophomore year at University of South Florida and Maxie had made her the manager of the Indian Rocks store with a healthy salary and another high school girl to be her new assistant.

Maxie's store was really doing well and to try to fill an emptiness and need for some sort of project, Jason suggested she open a new store in a fast growing vacation spot just south of St Petersburg. Close enough to home but far enough away from the old store to attract new clientele. They found a store in a shopping center where a new bistro had opened up and a day spa. It was on the tourist route the trolley took and was the perfect setting and location to house her high end fashion boutique.

It was just what Maxie needed and from March to the end of May, Maxie lived ate and slept the new store.

Until Hannah had the baby.

Jason tipped his beer up and drained it of its cool amber liquid and then moved to reach into the ice bucket to open another one. He heard Jake giggling and turned his attention away from the blonde who was causing him the most grief to another blond who was currently regaling his great grandfather with ideas of one day becoming the first astronaut to land on Mars, where he would plant vegetables and fruit and make them grow.

That was another situation he was dealing with in his life. As if he didn't have enough on his plate. He arranged for his mother, Monica, and his grandfather, Edward, to come stay with them for the summer. Edward was getting up there in years and even though he didn't see eye to eye with the old man, he knew how important it was that he be able to get to know Jake. And how important it was that Jake get to know him. Of course he wanted Monica and Jake to build on a relationship too but he knew that she had quite a few more years left in her, as she was in perfect health. But Edward probably only had another five years at best and he was determined to make sure that as long as Edward could travel, he would make room for him in his and Jake's life.

Jason smiled thinking about Edward's immediate grumblings when he was introduced to the Watsons as Edward Johnson, Jason's grandfather. Monica thought it would be fun living some of her life with a new identity and really liked being able to spend time with Jason and the boys. Now that Michael was awake, she and Edward had been spending plenty of time with him. Jax and Edward were grooming Michael to run ELQ one day and according to Monica, he was really enjoying the challenge of the corporate life. It helped with his aggressive behavior as well according to his doctors. But Jason's boys were their grandchildren too and Monica relished in the wake of Jason's growing desires to have them be a part of his boy's life. Even if they had to pretend just a little around all of them and keep some secrets.

Edward and Monica had all of Port Charles believing they were on a ninety day cruise around the world. The first five days they were actually on one and then from the Grand Bahama Island, they left the ship where two other passengers took their place. They would fly to New Foundland in a week to meet the ship and travel the final leg back into New York Harbor where Tracy and Alice would be none the wiser.

Only Bobbie and Mac would know.

Bobbie and Mac came for a week for Cameron's ninth birthday and the Baptism of Alison Shaffer. They had visited quite a few times over the past year and a half. They were flying out tonight and Jason knew that it was only going to add to his frustrations with Maxie once they left. She had been distracted because quickly once Mac and Bobbie arrived, she noticed the matching wedding rings on their fingers and all week if she wasn't focused on the Baptism, she was focused on the new romance and marriage of her father to Bobbie Spencer, a woman ten years older than him but someone that seemed to really make her father happy.

"Jason, my boy. See if you can find Monica. I think I'd like to go and take a nap." Edward said as he used his electric scooter to move across the patio toward his favorite grandson.

"Grandfather, I can take you in. Mom showed me how to set up your oxygen machine and all." Jason said setting the beer bottle down and turning toward his grandfather. Even at eighty nine years old, the man still looked formidable. Always dressed to the nines, his ever present pageboy cap on top of his head since the cancerous cells were removed a few years ago. "Let me just go tell Maxie that I'll be in the house for a while."

Edward nodded and maneuvered his scooter toward the back patio door which Jason and Billy had modified to accommodate the scooter. Edward could still walk and stand but it would tire him out easily since his last major heart attack. He had been on oxygen ever since and because his oxygen levels were consistently so low, he did very little walking because it taxed his heart so much that he would have trouble breathing.

For the summer, Edward was in a rented hospital bed in the family room so that he could have his privacy at night but also rest while the boys spent their afternoons with him playing cards and games and watching TV. Monica was in the guest room just across the living room and dining room from Edward so that if he needed immediate attention in the middle of the night, she was there.

Yet for the past two weeks, unbeknownst to anyone in the house, Jason was the closest to Edward most of the night. All because he had been banished from the master bedroom. He had hoped this would have all blown over by now. Maxie was the one being unreasonable. However, after two weeks of lonely nights on the couch, Jason had lain awake and realized all the places he went wrong. All of the warning signs glaring in his face like flashing train crossing lights. All of the telltale nuances and moments that should have told him that he and Maxie were at a fork in the road and he was either taking too long to decide which road he wanted to take or Maxie had already decided and was getting impatient waiting for him to bring up the rear.

And yet he kept trying. Trying to break through an impenetrable wall that had been built in the past two weeks. A wall Maxie had built because Jason had rightfully come down hard on her when he caught her in one of her schemes. One that rivaled some of her ones from early days like harboring Zander Smith when he was wanted by the police, going on the run with Jesse and keeping Coops secret about being one of James Craig's men. It was neck and neck with her stealing drugs to feed to Lucky to which she was having an affair and then faking a pregnancy and then a miscarriage.

But in Maxie's eyes, Jason was the one being so unreasonable. She would not have had to resort to plans and schemes and doing things behind his back if Jason would be just compromise this once and be reasonable. Jason shook his head as it went over in his mind once again, her convoluted theory on why HE was the unreasonable one in the relationship.

If he would have just taken off his rose colored glasses and seen that the protective coating on his perfect life was eroding from within this could have all been avoided.

Maybe.

~%~%~%~%~

"Jason?" Immediately Jason shot up off the couch and tried to stuff the pillow and blanket in the space between the wall and the end table so his mother wouldn't see it.

"Uh…yeah Mom." Jason said, quickly crossing the room.

"You don't have to pretend with me son. I know you've been sleeping out here for quite a few nights now. I had hoped that one night when I got up to get my glass of water, I wouldn't see you still out here."

"Oh…I didn't realize…" Jason sat down in the overstuffed chair and scrubbed at his face with the palm of his hand. His honing skills had deteriorated to nothing.

"Well, I didn't want to intrude. I know how private you are and I so enjoy the relationship we have now. I didn't want to pry or push you away." Monica pulled her silk floor length robe closed and sat down in front of him on the matching ottoman.

"It's…we'll work through it." His head dropped and Monica placed an aging hand on his strong knee. He looked up and saw the concern in her eyes from the moonlit room. "I just don't know what to do."

"Well you two sure do try to put on a happy face for the boys and your friends and neighbors. That has to be a good sign." Monica tried to find hope because her son looked like he had lost his. "Is it your Grandfather and I? I know we have to be taxing both of your patience between Edwards's orneriness and my spoiling the boys way beyond rotten. Plus we've been here for over two months now. If it would help, we can leave early and just say Edward was ready to come home so we flew home early from our voyage."

"It's not you Monica. And surprisingly enough, it's not Edward. It's…" Jason looked up into his mother's eyes and saw so much devotion and love and hope. The desire to be helpful to one of her children. She always felt like she had failed Emily and AJ and now didn't have a chance at redemption from either one of them. With Jason, although it had been a long hard road, they were finally in a good place and she was able to be a loving mother again to him. But she always tread so carefully that sometimes he wondered if he was truly being unfair.

The same way he felt about Maxie right now. He wondered if he really WAS the one being unreasonable. Regardless of the harebrained, devastatingly vicious and selfish trick she tried to pull on him.

"Son, if you want to talk, I promise, I won't judge. Maybe I can give you a little perspective. You know…" She smiled a brilliant smile and Jason couldn't help but smile with her as he saw her eyes travel to a place in her past. A memory of days gone by. "I was a lot like Maxie when I was her age. Oh sure, the situations were completely different. And you…you remind me of Alan in your gentleness and your way with the boys but aside from that, you and your father are complete opposites. You have the patience Lila had. Unfortunately, your father had the patience of a Quartermaine. Just like Edward, he was explosive."

"Grandfather told me the other day that I remind him so much of Grandmother and that Jake is just like Alan."

"Well, you know what…he's right. Jake marches to the beat of his own drum. Your father was like that. I mean…imagine telling your father, Edward Quartermaine, that you didn't want to run the ELQ Empire but instead wanted to follow your own dreams and become a doctor."

"I kind of did that when I DIDN'T want to become a doctor." Jason laughed a little but stopped when his mothers face took on a stern frown.

"I think telling your father and mother you are going to work for the local mob kingpin after just having lost all of your memory and was in a coma for a month is quite a different situation than being perfectly healthy and simply choosing an honest and _legal_ profession that your father didn't approve of."

Jason gave a curt nod of his head. He knew she was right now but that didn't change the fact that had they not pushed him so much, he probably would not have run so far so fast after waking up from his coma. He didn't look back with regret, per se, but he did see all the places in his life where he could have made a different choice and his whole life would have been different because of it.

Just like now and the choices he made with Maxie.

"Well…I can see that you have a lot to think through and really don't want to talk to your old mom about it. I just have to wonder who you really DO have to talk to. I know you don't have Spinelli anymore because Maxie said that he took an assignment overseas to be with his new wife and was working as a translator in Egypt. Although I doubt that's _all_ he does for our government over there. And Billy Shaffer seems like a great friend but only knows the life you have made up prior to moving here. All you have left is Maxie and I haven't seen either of you on that lounge chair on the patio in weeks."

"You know about the lounge chair?" Jason asked, his head lifting up at the mention of it. Absentmindedly he turned and looked out the sliding glass doors to see the chair with the brand new cushions sitting there waiting and wondering where it's nearly nightly occupants had been.

"Well, Bobbie actually told me about it. She said that Maxie's told her that it was where you two always go to reconnect or unwind from the stresses of the day. That you would just sit and hold each other and talk about anything or nothing but that mostly it was where you two would work out any problems you were having."

"Maxie told Bobbie all of that?"

"Yep and I haven't seen you two out there since the night after Billy and Hannah gave birth to Alison."

"Yeah…" Jason looked out the glass doors again. It really had been a long time. Hannah was born May thirtieth and it was the last week of July now. "Mom, would you excuse me?"

"Sure honey." Monica moved her legs out of the way as Jason stood, tugging up his sleep shorts and moved across the room to the sliding glass doors.

She watched as he picked up the blanket that always lay on the hope chest next to the door and left the house to lie on the lounge chair. She hoped he would find his answers out there underneath the stars. She knew what was going on. She and Denny Watson had had a long in-depth talk on the subject today as the Baptism reception died down and they watched all of their grandchildren play in the new pool. But both readily agreed that no one could fix the problem but Maxie and Jason. No amount of intervention on their parts could help the situation.

Monica sat a few minutes longer watching as her son stared up into the sky, breathing deeply. Finally she lifted herself from the spot she had been in for twenty minutes and went to the kitchen for the water she had originally emerged from her room to get. When she finally headed back to the room and closed the door, she smiled when she heard the door to the master bedroom open and close and then the unmistakable sound of the sliding doors heavy on their tracks opening to hopefully give way to some sort of communication between two stubborn individuals who were so right for each other and so deeply in love with each other but also two individuals who could not either climb high enough to get over their giant egos and pride.

"Alan, if you're watching…could you maybe make Maxie trip on something so that he has to catch her. Cause I don't know what to do to make them fall into each other's arms again."

~%~%~%~

"Hi"

"Hey"

"I saw you from the sitting room. I haven't seen you out here in a while."

"That's because _you_ haven't been out here."

"Yeah"

Silence engulfed them to where they felt like it had fingers that were closing around their throats.

"Mac called, he and Bobbie made it home okay."

"That's good."

The moonlight danced across the water and they both watched as the ripples from a slight breeze rolled across the water of their new pool. Poetically slow and safe like the small steps they were both taking at this moment.

"Monica knows I've been sleeping on the couch."

"Oh"

"Yeah."

Again the silence was only interrupted by Prince's little bell as he ran from the area behind the pool house where Jason had trained the dogs to do their business. It was an area that he and Jake would put all the yard waste and left over food to make compost for the flower and tree beds. Jason and Maxie barely turned their head at the sound. They were so used to that little bell being anywhere that Maxie was. Popeye and Precious were in Cameron and Jake's beds respectively, always protecting their favorite family member.

Jason looked over at Maxie.

She was beautiful. Her hair was short again for the summer. Her skin tanned naturally this year. She still pampered herself at the spa on a weekly basis with massages, manicures, pedicures and mud masks but she'd stopped going to the tanning salon when she noticed that her exposure to the natural sun was giving her body the golden hue that she desired and the tanning booth was only making it look unhealthy.

She changed her hair back to the platinum color it used to be and her body had kept the one hundred and fifteen pounds that made all of her curves softer. Her sparkling blue eyes were looking up at the stars. He could see that color as clear as day and missed the warmth of them shining with love for him. At twenty seven she looked more in tune with herself. More confident with her body and it was sexy as hell the way she wore her clothes nowadays. Always in something designer but with even more sex appeal if that was possible. Conservative on the exterior but with a hint of seduction. School teacher meets Playboy centerfold. And it was all for him.

She listened when he told her he liked the way her ass looked in low rider jeans and she paid attention when he said he liked her hair styled curly and wild. She went and bought all new bras when he found one in a Victoria's Secret magazine and said he'd like to see her in it and she never failed to walk out of the closet in the five inch stilettos and then leave them on when he was in a particularly lustful mood.

She had completed a second course in cooking and now was actually pretty good at making most things. She still could not get the baked goods to turn out right but it didn't matter to him, there was a fabulous bakery four blocks away and he loved walking hand in hand with her down to sit on the patio of the bakery on Sunday mornings where the boys would eat waffles or Danish, he could have coffee cake and a rich Columbian roasted coffee brew and she would savor the sticky buns with the almonds and a latte.

She hired a maid to handle the weekly dusting, vacuuming, cleaning the bathrooms and mopping but she still insisted on doing the kitchen herself. She said it was relaxing and soothing to wash dishes after a long tiring day at work while Jason would do something with the kids or work on the boutiques books. The boys had their chores to feed the dogs, take out the trash and put clean dishes away every day and then once a week they folded their own laundry and put their clean clothes away. Maxie took care of the rest and actually enjoyed the domesticity of it all.

They continued Sunday night date night and lazy Monday mornings in bed after the boys went to school. Maxie always made sure that their sex life was fresh and alive and new. Whether it was the introduction of new toys, outfits, role-play games or new places and positions, Jason was completely satisfied by Maxie's healthy attitude in their bedroom. She liked everything from slow and sensual to rough angry sex and never tired of making sure Jason was fully satisfied and then some.

Some days he wondered if he'd be able to keep up with her. At forty one, he was already showing signs of age. She didn't know it but he'd found a few gray hair in his head and had talked to his barber about it. He had to work out more to keep his physical shape. Food didn't burn as easily even though he had more sex in the past year in a half than he had probably had in his whole life. Maxie was such a good cook and was learning the art of rich sauces and sautés. The kids were naturally full of energy with a high metabolism and Maxie still barely ate ten bites of anything but Jason was starting to see the middle aged spread settling in so he worked extra hard to keep Maxie from ever finding someone else she'd rather trace toned muscles on with her hot pink fingernails.

He was working so hard to make her happy and she was doing the same for him but the one thing she wanted, he didn't. The thing that would make her the most happy was the thing he feared the most. The huge elephant between them, he had no idea how to compromise on. Because there was no compromise.

If he gave in, his life changed forever and if she gave in, her life would never be fulfilled. He couldn't stomach not fulfilling her dreams but at forty one he also couldn't see himself starting over. He was happy. Everything seemed to be smooth sailing. No need to change course when it was nothing but blue skies and smooth sailing ahead.

Except that the perfect storm was brewing in between them. He just hoped that the family and the life they created and worked so hard for over the last four and a half years could weather the storm and come out intact on the other side.

"Princess…please sit with me. We really need to talk."


	2. Chapter 2 NC17M

Author's Note: Okay…so that took a long time. Sorry. But I think, at least I hope, it's worth it. Oh and word of warning…this is so so SO NC-17 MA that it probably needs a new rating of XXX. Seriously, I've written some naughty smut before but this chapter takes the prize. Definitely not for the unimaginative.

**Chapter 2**

"I missed this." Maxie said, curling sideways to burrow deeper into Jason's chest.

When Jason reached out for her and asked her to sit…on their chair…and talk, she nearly ran. She and Jason had fought, cried, avoided and pouted over this but they had not yet once actually sat down and finalized the situation.

Ever since Hannah found out she was pregnant, Maxie started feeling that pull. At first she thought it was just because she was jealous. Hannah was getting A LOT of attention and to Maxie, that was supposed to be for her. Hannah was the silent one in the background and Maxie was the best friend that hogged the spotlight. It's just the way it was.

Yet as soon as Hannah turned up pregnant, everyone seemed to focus on Hannah. Including her three boys at home.

Jason was Billy's best friend so of course he was excited for his friend. Then the boys got excited after having the talk with Jason about Hannah having a baby. He figured it was best since Billy was having the same talk with Junior and the three were inseparable. He'd rather the information not get twisted and interpreted by a nine year old.

Then they bought the house and everyone's focus was on the renovations. Even Maxie's. The Watsons were excited about the addition of another great grandchild and Vonnie was over the moon that her only girl was becoming a Mom.

Somehow, to Maxie, that translated to real family togetherness. And she wanted that feeling as well.

So, the idea slowly crept into her mind. She treated Prince like a baby anyway but things started building. Slowly. And Maxie herself didn't even realize what was happening until the phone call.

They were on their way to the hospital.

To have the baby.

And Hannah and Billy wanted the Godparents to be there.

Maxie was in the room right up to and through the birth with Vonnie and Denny. Billy had been in there but at the first sign of the actual birthing, he turned white as a ghost and an orderly called to Jason then Jason and Robbie quickly rushed in to gather up the six foot puddle of fear on the floor and haul him out into the waiting room with Glenn, Dale and other family members.

Jason and Maxie had been lucky that Monica and Edward had been staying with them for a few weeks already because Billy dropped off Junior to stay with the boys and his mother and picked up Maxie while Jason gathered and drove the Watsons and Vonnie to the hospital in Mr. Watson's van. His night vision was extremely poor and everyone wanted to be there through all of it.

So Maxie became enraptured at the miracle she witnessed through the eight hour ordeal. She watched as Vonnie continuously fed her daughter ice chips and would warn her at the monitors indication of an oncoming contraction. Then would marvel at how quickly it would go away and Vonnie would sop the sweat from her daughter's brow and encourage her with positive reinforcement that she was doing great and that everything was normal. And she marveled at how calm Denny was rocking in a glider chair while knitting the tiny bonnet to match the Christening gown she had already completed.

She moved in and out of the room, just like the men did, when the doctors would come to check her progress or Hannah got her epidural and drifted off to sleep.

Maxie was amazed that at times, Hannah would give no more indication than a deep V of her brow when the monitor told of a contraction hitting as the laboring woman would sleep right through it.

At hour six, the doctor came out and said "It's time" and Vonnie headed back in the room from eating a banana and having a cup of coffee. No less than three minutes later the orderly was brushing past Maxie and the guys were hauling out the petrified father to be.

Finally, the little girl, whom they named Alison Ann, was testing those newly developed lungs of hers and Maxie was stunned silent at the miracle of life she had just witnessed.

And then her hormones kicked into overdrive and she and Jason had not been the same since.

"I've missed this too Princess. I've missed YOU!" Jason slowly and lazily trailed his index finger up and down her arm as his other hand held her to him, reveling in the feel of the beautiful creature he'd grown to love so deeply in his arms.

Maxie looked up at him, a simple tilting of her head, still hearing the beat of his heart as it quickened due to her proximity. Her eyes shone brightly in the moonlight. The brilliant blue, deep and soulful and…pained, scared, unsure.

Jason couldn't help it. He leaned forward to brush his lips with hers. He knew that this would get them nowhere. He knew that his kiss, though it made him feel better, and possibly her, would not do anything more than put off the inevitable.

The talk.

But as his lips brushed across Maxie's and he tasted the sweet gloss she always wore and the unique scent that was Maxie wafted through his nostrils and the buzzing that always started began in his body, she sighed contentedly.

Maybe she needed this, and the delay, as much as he did.

He shifted, tugged at her arms until he could pull her up his body. She lay on top of him, bent backward, as his two strong legs came up around hers and pinned her between his thighs. His one arm held her in place as his other cupped the back of her neck to angle her so that he could slip his tongue in past her lips to dance with her tongue.

He moaned his pleasure as she pushed her hips toward his and raked her nail across his sensitive nipple while she used her other arm to adjust herself more fully on top of him. Instantly his body reacted to her. His cock twitched at the feel of her breasts against his chest. Her slender hips and her round bottom between his thighs. It'd been so long since they'd been intimate.

At least three weeks.

There had been tension since the day their Goddaughter, Alison Ann Shaffer, had been born. Sleepy and lying on Jason's shoulder in the waiting room after the child was born, Maxie murmured '_I can't wait to have one of our own'_ as she drifted off to sleep.

Immediately Jason tensed and the realization that everything for the past seven months had been moving her to this point. And with her admission came the realization that he felt completely one hundred percent opposed to the idea.

They'd been working their way to this impasse in their relationship and neither knew it was coming.

Slowly Jason tipped Maxie's chin up and looked into her drowsy eyes waited for her to focus and said, "Maxie, I don't want any more kids."

He could not have made it plainer. He could not have been more sincere and honest with her. But she practically didn't believe him. At one point, in an argument days later even saying he didn't know what he wanted.

But he did.

He wanted her. He wanted Jake and he wanted Cameron. He wanted the life they were living now. The life of Maxie being the center of the Johnson men's world. The life of Jacob being old enough to really do things with him. The life of Cameron fascinating everyone, especially him, every night with new and wondrous things he had learned from the many books and online research he did. The life of the dogs making the house come alive along with Jake at five in the morning and the life of his and Maxie's careers fulfilling the needs that weren't met at home.

A baby would change everything.

A loud rapping of a cane against the sliding glass doors that led to the family room halted the forward progression of Maxie's nightgown coming off. Somehow her robe had already been discarded to the patio bricks along with his t-shirt. Jason pulled it back down and then shifted her, somehow now straddling him, so that he could pull the gown down over her bare behind.

He loved this nightgown. Long, midnight blue with matching thong and robe.

Maxie buried her face in his neck, still undulating her hips a little until Jason gripped her hard to stop her. He could now see the glow of his Grandfather's eyes through the sliding doors. Thankfully, the old man had the decency to stop them before it went too far. The addition of the second story had provided a little more privacy on their patio and Maxie and Jason had made love a few times on the lounge chair after the boys went to bed before the Quartermaines arrived.

Luckily Edward woke up, saw them and stopped them before he got his very own porn movie from his hospital bed.

"Make love to me Jason." Maxie whispered and he cringed at how scared she sounded.

Over the past few months their love making, while always incredible and fulfilling, simply hadn't happened as often. The argument of birth control tending to be a mood killer for both of them.

Or just the fact that they weren't seeing eye to eye, their house was filled to the brim with people, the new boutique was taking all of their alone time for planning, accounting, and the like and the boys and the dogs had been especially demanding this summer, mostly due to their being spoiled beyond reason by their visiting grandparents.

Jason lifted Maxie effortlessly in his arms and strode toward the house. He made it down the hall in record time, smiling to himself when he heard his mother thanking his father for his intervention. He didn't know what that was about but had a feeling she had been peeking at he and Maxie too.

As soon as they got in the room, he shut and locked the door. A task they learned had to be done, ever since that fateful morning that Jake had walked them. It took weeks, months even, before Jake stopped asking questions. As soon as Jake would stop, Cameron would start.

Maxie finally lost her cool and told both boys over breakfast, "Daddy likes to stick his pee pee in me to relieve himself because it feels good. I scream because I like it too. You'll want to do that when you are bigger but not to me. So shut up about it."

Immediately, Jason contacted Vonnie about a good counselor and took the boys to see a child psychologist that was a friend of Vonnie's. After two sessions, the doctor said, although the boys would probably have more questions when they got older, he had finally convinced the boys that Jason wasn't actually peeing inside Maxie. He made Jason sit in the session when he explained the birds and the bees in graphic detail, using pictures, books and dolls. Jason wanted to crawl in a hole and die that day but after the shock of the session, Jake and Cameron rarely ever brought up the incident again.

But he knew the day was coming soon with Cam.

As Jason moved toward the bed, he put his knees on the mattress between Maxie's spread legs and pushed the silk gown up with his fingers. The midnight blue scrap of silk that covered her Brazillian waxed curls came into view and Jason groaned at the sensation just seeing her underwear caused in his groin.

Maxie scooted up the mattress as Jason lay chase and shivered and giggled when his fingers slid up her sides pushing the gown higher. But she gulped loudly when his lips and teeth latched onto one pert breast. His tongue soothing where his teeth gnashed.

Without preamble, Jason grasped the silk that lay between her legs and yanked hard, shredding the material to give him access to his desire. His lips traveled downward over her quivering stomach. He stopped to twirl his tongue in her belly button, loving the new belly ring she had gotten a year ago for her twenty seventh birthday. He had freaked out at first but then found how sexy it was and started buying her jewelry for it.

Tonight she had on the Ruby tear drop on the silver ring and chain.

Slowly his hands worked their way up her thighs, caressing the insides as he pushed them further apart. His broad shoulders positioning in place he lowered his head to take a slow, sensual swipe of his tongue up her center. His groan matched hers and his mouth nearly felt starved as the taste of her bled onto his tongue.

Maxie's one hand grabbed at his hair and she tightened her grip as she pushed his head down further onto her throbbing, pulsing pussy and her other hand grabbed a handful of her own breast, massaging and manipulating the nipple.

Once Jason settled into a comfortable rhythm, his fingers searched and found her nether lips and peeled them apart so that he could gain better access. He feasted on her, moaning his pleasure when he looked up to see her pleasuring her own breasts. One arm reached up and moved her hand so that he could assault the nipple with his own fingers, pinching and pulling as his tongue darted in and out of her. His fingers moved inside her, twisting and searching for that sweet spot that made her come unglued. His pinky finger resting against and pushing at her anal entrance.

Finally, when he thought she was going to squirm out from under him and off the bed, he latched onto her clitoris and sucked hard, still moving his two large fingers in and out of her tight channel.

Sometime during his oral assault on Maxie, he had turned, physically and was now receiving his own oral gratification. In his sexual haze, he remember moving up to suck on her tits while he fucked her with his fingers and she latched onto his rock hard member, pushing at his sleep shorts until his erection sprang free. She pulled until he realized what she wanted and slowly turned around over top of her, kicking off his clothes in the process.

His hips were undulating, pushing his manhood well past her mouth deep into her throat and always to his amazement, his beautiful blonde accepted him wholly. She stopped manipulating her own breast to concentrate on his steel shaft as her tongue twisted around the base of it and the underside.

She would use her hand to pump him and pull him out of her mouth so that she could suck on the tightening sacs surrounding his cock and then once it seemed as if he might explode, she would tighten her fingers around the base of his cock and force him deep into her throat again, licking and sucking and twirling the head and the shaft as she staved off his orgasm once more.

But now, her orgasm was eminent. He'd been working her pussy and her tits with his tongue and his other hand had grabbed one of her favorite toys and was pumping back and forth inside her ass. One bead at a time.

She was so close and all it would take was the final maneuver. And of course he knew what that was as he lightly bit down onto her clit then used his tongue to manipulate it back and forth between his teeth.

Maxie howled, trying to stifle her response with his erection. Jason held his lower half still as he continued his assault on her lower half, loving the feel of her pulsating beneath his lips. He lapped at her juices until the flow stopped and she was purring like a kitten.

Quickly he turned and pulled at her under her arms to semi sit her up and then rammed his cock back down her throat. She used the headboard to stop the retreating action her head wanted to naturally make and relaxed her throat muscles until Jason roared with his own orgasm. Pulling out enough for the cum to fill her mouth as he watched her through hooded, darkened, lust filled eyes as she continued to swallow him whole and all he had to give her.

Once his orgasm slowed he turned once again to finish lapping at Maxie's center, to make sure there was nothing of her sweet nectar he might have missed. Moving off the bed and over to the closet.

"Jas-Jason"

"Yeah Princess"

"I want…I…" Maxie was still in a daze and he knew what she wanted.

She wanted anal sex. Always when they had assaulted each other with dual oral pleasure, especially when he put the anal beads to good use, she wanted to feel him in her ass. It was a special kind of orgasm for her, and for him.

"I know baby. I'll get the lube." He announced as he unabashedly moved across their newly remodeled room to the much larger walk in closet. He reached into a drawer that was built in and rifled through many varied sex toys and products until he found what he needed. Then he reached on the top shelf and pulled down one of his gun boxes. He entered the code, that only he knew, and opened the box pulling out a strip of six condoms. Then at the last minute, he reached onto a shelf on her three quarters of the closet and found the sexy fire engine red six inch heels and grabbed them as well.

That should be plenty for tonight and if he's lucky, tomorrow morning too.

As he came out of the closet, he looked at Maxie. The moonlight was glowing through the windows. Her body was relaxed and a mess of wild blonde hair surrounded her head. Her lips looked perfectly battered and bruised from his assault, first with his own mouth and then with his dick. Her inner thighs glistened with a mixture of his juices and hers and her body had a light sheen of perspiration covering tiny goose bumps he could see from the light.

His dick twitched as he watched her hand wander over her breasts, down her torso and between her legs. Her eyes were closed and he stood in the doorway of the closet for a few minutes watching as she played with her own clit, rubbing it back and forth between her fingers. He groaned when her other hand moved up to her chest and her eyes popped open.

"Like what you see?" She said in a raspy sexy voice. It was low and hoarse because of the incredible blow job she had just given and the way he was looking at her like she was a glass of water to a dehydrated man.

And she was.

Jason had been denied her for two long weeks. Three if you counted the week he slept in their bed and she gave him an ever increasingly cold shoulder.

"I _**love**_ what I see." He snarled at her and her eyes widened at the sound. Her movements slowed and he frowned. "Don't stop Princess. I wanna watch."

Jason moved toward the bed but didn't climb on. He placed the condoms and the tube of gel onto the bedside table. He then walked to the end of the bed and slowly raised each perfectly pedicured foot and slid them into the high heels. Finally he moved back to the side of the bed and grabbed onto his own cock, pumping it back to solid rock.

He stood there watching her for a few minutes pleasuring himself along the way until she reached under the pillow and pulled out a vibrator.

And now he knew how she was surviving this past two weeks.

"Should I be jealous?" Jason asked as he watched her turn on the device, increase the speed to medium and then slip the rubber dildo inside her.

"No…why don't you come and play too." She suggested and patted the bed with her free hand.

Switching roles, Jason sat sideways on the bed and pulled his feet up toward her head. He rested on one elbow as he grabbed the vibrator from her and started moving it in and out, watching as it appeared then disappeared between her folds.

Maxie, used her free hand to pump Jason steadily at the same rhythm he was pumping her. The scene reminiscent of what they had just done, but with toys and hands instead of their mouths.

Slowly Jason felt Maxie rolling a condom down his length, still pumping it hard with a firm grip. Then he felt the coolness of the gel being squirted onto the condom. He was so enraptured with what he was doing he hadn't even noticed Maxie's ability to move their progress forward as he was stuck in neutral. Wondrous neutral but a stalling just the same.

He turned and looked at the bedside table, mentally counting to see that there were now five condoms on the strip and the empty foil packet lie on the bed, torn and next to his encased cock. His eyes shifted up to hers and she smiled a sexy saucy smile.

"I wanna try…"

"Oh GOD Maxie don't say it." His eyes closed at the thought.

"You know what I'm thinking?" His eyes shot open as she asked and her eyebrow rose perfectly in question and he smiled.

"I know exactly what you are thinking and OH MY GOD PRINCESS!"

Jason quickly scrambled around on the bed and lined his cock up at her entrance. His finger entered her first to ensure she was still stretched to afford him. Finally he grabbed two pillows and quickly shoved them underneath her and used the vibrator to manipulate her clit as the head of his cock pushed its way into her anus.

Maxie tensed, as he knew she would, so he slowly rocked back and forth, never making any progress as the vibrator distracted her. Her pelvis was raised up to him, an offering of sort and he was worshiping at her temple for this was what he'd prayed for.

He felt her muscles relax before he heard her contented sigh and watched her face as he slowly moved inside her.

"Grab your breasts Maxie. Make it feel good." He moaned as she started pushing back onto him, forcing him to go deeper.

Slowly he pulled each foot up to rest on his chest. The red heels a huge turn on and the way she moved them to brush against his own sensitive nipples. Finally, when she was completely oblivious to what he was doing aside from enjoying the pleasure he was giving her, he carefully slid the vibrator into her throbbing pussy and slowly turned up the speed.

"OH MY" Maxie's eyes shot open and lust pored through them. "FUCK Ja-JA-JASON"

As soon as the vibrator was safely in place, he moved her heels up over his shoulder and leaned down to kiss her lips and muffle her near screams. The vibration as well as the sensation of something pressing on the top of his shaft through the thin membrane that separated her ass from her pussy was driving him just as crazy as the feeling of double penetration was driving her.

The way he was leaned against her forced the rubber vibrator to bend and press, while vibrating, against her sensitive bundle of nerves and Jason and Maxie both knew that neither of them were going to last two minutes like this.

The kiss broke and they both stared at each other, a knowing, trusting look exchanged and Jason started pumping hard and fast into her. His movements caused everything else to move hard and fast and just before she came, he quickly captured her lips again, thrusting his tongue deep into her mouth, swallowing her cries of pleasure.

The throbbing and pulsing of her walls quivering around him pulled his orgasm from him with one additional stroke and Maxie's tongue stopped his guttural outcry at the pleasure and pain they had just enjoyed.

Slowly he continued to move inside her, riding out the waves of both of their orgasm. Maxie reached between them and turned off the device and within a few heart palpitating minutes, their breathing returned to normal and Jason was rolling out of her and off of her, pulling the toy with him.

And because she had just fulfilled a fantasy he'd been requesting for some time now…he immediately latched onto a breast and brought her back to orgasm with his fingers on her sensitive pussy, at the last minute abandoning her breasts to use his tongue again to finish the job.

~%~%~%~%~

Jason woke up to Maxie slipping back into bed. She'd dealt with the dogs and Jake while Jason slept in, having exhausted himself the night before. He smiled as he looked past her at the six torn and empty condom packets. Then his smile soured a little as he realized he'd only been asleep for about forty five minutes.

He groaned as tiny fingers wrapped around his manhood and pumped him.

"I would say good morning but that would be insufficient. It's already a great morning waking up to you." Jason's husky sleep addled voice said as he moved to pull her into his arms and brush a kiss to her forehead.

Maxie lifted her head to capture his lips and slowly the dance began again.

Neither wanting to fight, the topic of birth control never came up. So Maxie was surprised, a look of shock on her face, when she moved to pull a condom from the bedside table drawer and Jason stopped her.

"Really?" The excitement bouncing in her eyes and lifting her voice to a squeal.

Jason cringed as he shook his head 'no' and watched her eyes and her excitement crumble. He moved from the bed and into the closet to pull out the locked box, quickly tumbling the lock to open. He pulled out another strip of condoms and locked and replaced the box on the top shelf.

As he moved back into the room, Maxie was sitting up, the sheets pulled up around her to cover her and Jason swore he could see steam coming from her ears.

"I can't believe you!" She growled at him. Hurt and anger rolling off of her in palpable waves.

"You can't believe me?" He stood, naked and hard in front of her. "After what you pulled, you think I'd trust you to use the condoms out of that drawer?"

"I told you I was sorry."

Sighing, he scrubbed his face. Suddenly he knew there was no need for the condoms in his hand.

"I know you did Princess but the fact remains that you did it and I can't trust you."

"I hate you – you fucking asshole." Maxie barely kept her voice low enough so as not to permeate the walls.

She tore the sheet off of her and strode past him, practically pushing him off balance to get to her dresser. She angrily pulled the top drawer open, so hard that it came out of its casing and tumbled, along with dozens of various colored and style panties. She caught one pair mid air and tore open the next drawer to pull out a t-shirt and pair of shorts.

Quickly dressing she went to grab her cell phone and tear out of the room before it became a shouting match again.

Before she could wrench open the door, Jason stepped over the mess she'd made of the two toppled dresser drawers and grabbed onto her arm.

Growling and with a glare he'd used rarely in the past four years he yanked her around to face him.

"How is it that I am the asshole when you were the one that I caught three weeks ago poking holes in our stash of condoms to trap me into having a baby with you?" He practically spit, angered that she had the nerve to be mad at him.

As quick as a flash the hard crack of her hand landed against his cheek. She kicked his shin to catch him off guard even more and pushed his chest to wrench her arm out of his firm grip.

"You think I was trapping you? I'M TRAPPING YOU? What the fuck have the last four and a half years of my life been?"


	3. Chapter 3

Okay…so…the muse…that fu'king bitch!!! I finally found her. She was behind some old fanfic I had not caught up on from some of my favorites. I totally kicked her ass when I found her. She's healing so this is a little short but it's a set up for the next chapter. I will try not to let the muse take off like that again.

Is everyone liking General Hospital lately? Even though my Liason isn't together and Spinelli and Maxie romantic makes me want to hurl, the show as a whole has gotten really good, or at least a LOT better.

And Scott Reeves as Doctor Steven Lars Webber (aka Doc Hottie McReevester) is my new favorite guy. Yep, I've put up the cannoli's and the ammo for a heart healthy stethoscope. My friend Heather wonders when the Steven Webber fanfic will hit the stands. It's only in my mind Heather, I'm not ready to share my dirty thoughts with you. Not…YET!! But I wasn't kidding when I said that Steve and Jason fighting over Maxie would be fun fun fun!!! Maybe set back in ye merry old England and you can help me with my historical facts and language.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday!!! Thank you all for your reviews and your patience through this drought. And thank you to a couple of you that sent me reminders that you were out there anxiously awaiting.

**Chapter 3**

That fight was the last straw. Although it wasn't a roof raiser, the message was loud and clear. Jason no longer trusted Maxie.

Edward and Monica had left a few days earlier than planned in a strained effort to give the two lovers time to get back to their routine to see if that would help.

It didn't.

The worst part was that now Maxie's new boutique was open so she was gone more than normal. She was rarely, if ever, at the original store. Jason, on the other hand, was at the old store constantly. With two stores, he had more accounting work to do and honestly, it helped to clear his mind working with the numbers. Maxie had hired a second person for the store to work with Brittany and one to work with her at the new boutique. But the schedule the Johnson household had come to rely on to keep them all together had fallen apart quickly to where now, it was like four different people were living four different lives.

Jason had officially moved into the guest bedroom the day his mother and grandfather left and within the past month his personal belongings had slowly moved there too. Jason was miserable and so was Maxie but neither knew how to get past this rift and close the gap in their relationship.

And they weren't even sure if it was possible.

Sipping on the beer Billy had just brought him, Jason turned in his barstool from looking out of the big picture window in the front of the American Legion to face his friend who was leaning up against the pool table.

"You know, you can talk to me about anything. I won't judge and I won't run my mouth to Hannah."

"Yeah, I know." Jason said putting his beer bottle between his jean clad legs and holding it by the neck.

"I already know a lot of what's going on. Maxie and Hannah aren't really very quiet and Hannah then comes to me to gripe about what an asshole you are." Billy finished his sentence with a little chuckle. Trying to lighten the mood but also trying to get his friend to open up.

"I'm the asshole." Jason muttered studying the label of his beer bottle intently. It was a comment that bled disbelief as well as realization of its truth.

"Well, you know women. As soon as something doesn't go their way, then WE are the assholes." He hedged. Not sure if this was really how he should be trying to get his friend to open up.

"I don't think you really know what's going on here Billy. Honestly, I don't think Hannah does. If she did…" He let the comment hang in the air. Surely, he knew Hannah well enough to know she would be mortified at what Maxie had done. Then again, if Maxie had only told her part of it, of course she would side with her.

And Jason himself knew deep down that he wasn't necessarily being fair in the first place.

"Well, maybe I don't know everything. Maybe it's none of my business. But all I see is that Alison Ann has two Godparents that are hurting. They both love each other and want to spend their whole lives together but seem to have two different ideas of what all that entails. And my wife and I have lost our best friends because they cannot stand to be in the same room with each other." He tipped his beer bottle, pointing it at Jason who was now staring at his friend surprised Billy had spoken up as he had. "And Cameron and Jake…they are really confused. Denny and Dale are trying to reassure your boys that everything will be okay but those boys are scared man."

Jason's shoulders slumped. He had to fix this. He had to make things right for his family. But that didn't mean he had to… "Hey Billy, do you think I'm being selfish if I don't want to have anymore kids?"

"Uhhh…I don't know." Billy set his bottle down on the edge of the pool table. He moved around the table and pulled two quarters from his pocket. He held up the two coins in front of Jason in silent invitation to a game. As Jason nodded, he smiled and slid the coins in their proper slots, pushing the handle in to create the rumble of fifteen pool balls dropping into the base and rolling to the end of the table. "Why don't you clue me in while I rack. Then we can figure this out together while I kick your ass."

~*~*~*~*~

"Babe, I'm serious." Billy said as he moved to take the baby from his wife.

"It's not Maxie's fault. She's a woman…Unless he doesn't want kids with her specifically because then his kids would be cousins AND siblings." Hannah pushed on Billy's back to get him to move out of the way. "I can understand that. It IS kind of weird but it's not like really inbreeding or anything. I guess."

Her forehead crinkled as she worked out the blood lines. "I guess it's kind of like…well…you know like when one sister is surrogate for the other. And since Cam and Jake's mother is dead, it's not like…creepy or Jerry Springer or anything."

She pulled the oven open and reached for the basting brush. Her husband and his best friend decided that it would be a good idea to force Maxie and Jason to be in one room together in an environment where they felt comfortable but that they also wouldn't fight. So she was now making Rack of Lamb for nine under the guise that she wanted a fancy dinner with family and friends because since the baby was born, she felt like everything was a disaster around her. She wanted a nice Sunday dinner.

So, The Watsons, her mother, brothers and their wives and girlfriends were coming. Jason and Maxie and of course her nephew, Jason's boys and Junior would be there. The kids would have pizza delivered and would be relegated to the play room for the evening with a movie.

"He was rather quick to say that didn't matter. It makes me think maybe he has been pondering the notion of having more kids but just isn't ready yet. Maybe the night with Alison here cooing at him will kick him in gear." Billy popped his lips just the way his daughter liked it and was rewarded with a bright smile and a gurgling sound. Then a tiny fist to the jaw.

"William Shaffer, you are just teaching your daughter early to flirt with boys." Hannah swatted her husband as he used the sweetest voice she thought she would ever hear telling their daughter how beautiful she was. Billy was all meat and potatoes and with Junior, he was rough and gruff, but with Alison Ann in his arms he was a big old softie.

"You're going to marry Jake so we don't have to worry about anything. Cause Jason will make sure Jake knows how to treat a lady and you…you will be treated no less than like a princess. Daddy will make sure of that!"

"Oh lordy, Jake Johnson and Alison Shaffer. Are you sure the world could handle their offspring?" Hannah laughed.

Their daughter was adorable but she was a devil disguised as a baby when she wasn't getting her way or if she was being ignored. And Jake…well, Jake was all boy and then some. Maxie was always complaining about the creatures Jake and Precious would bring in from the neighborhood. It was four days before she discovered the collection of lizards he had in a Tupperware bowl he had poked holes in. And the snake in the pillowcase caused the boy to spend a weekend in his room.

"Once they grow up, yes." Billy said, still cooing at his daughter. "Aside from Jake, her choice will be a convent."

~*~*~*~*~

"Dinner really was delicious." Jason said as he brought the last of the dishes into the kitchen. His face a full frown at the barley touched meal on the plate in his left hand.

Hannah and Jason's relationship had been strained. He understood why because Hannah and Maxie were so close but…just like he felt confident Billy wouldn't discuss a lot of what he talked to him about the other day, Maxie could have discussed just as much with Hannah and he wasn't sure where that would put him in Hannah's eyes.

"Thank you Jason." She took the plates from him and turned back to the sink. She insisted that she would clean up and everyone should go into the living room to talk. Her mother and grandmother insisted they would help until Jason spoke up and said he would help her.

Everyone had been taking their cues the entire evening from Jason and Maxie. At first Hannah had them sitting next to each other but a whispered plea to Billy had everyone sitting across from their significant others. Then through dinner, everyone noticed that Maxie ate three bites at the most of her dinner. Which wouldn't have been such a big deal except that when she pulled her sweater off when they walked in, her shoulder bones were starting to protrude through her top? Her eyes were a bit sunken and she had a slight tremble.

Obviously this rift between her and Jason was affecting her health and that was more of a concern to Hannah and really everyone in the room more than the fight the two love birds were struggling through. Maxie was already skinny. She had put on a few pounds over the years but now she was skinnier than when they had first moved into the neighborhood. Hannah, her mother and sister in law all guessed her to not even weigh a hundred pounds anymore.

As if reading her thoughts, "I feed her a diet supplement in the mornings with her latte. She still lets me do that for her. I'm not so sure she's drinking all of it though and…" He sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face, peeking over his fingers at his best friend's wife staring at him intently, "I can't force her to eat."

"Well, I'm her best friend Jason and I haven't noticed it. I'm just as much to blame. We'll work on it. I know you would never do this but I'm not above sitting on her and shoving a pint of Chubby Hubby down her throat two times a day."

Jason laughed but it was hollow. "I know you're probably mad at me…"

"Jason, I'm not mad at you…but I don't understand you." She dropped the plate and the soapy sponge into the sink and braced both hands on the counter. "You love kids, you love Maxie, you are great with the boys and so is Maxie. I don't understand why you don't want more children. More importantly why you want to deny Maxie the miracle of bringing a child of yours and hers into the world. The whole experience is what women were put on this earth for."

"I can answer you." Maxie's quiet voice sliced through the kitchen and Hannah and Jason both jumped, thinking they were alone. Both sets of eyes turned, startled and wide to look at the pale shell of the woman they both loved. "It's me. I'm not good enough. There's a shelf life on me. It's up pretty soon."

At that Maxie grabbed her sweater off of the back of the island barstool and turned and fled before anyone could see her tears.

The side door clicked shut and the sound of the screen door swinging back into place bounced a few times as Hannah Shaffer counted to ten. When Jason stood like a frozen block of concrete, Hannah made the most disgusted sound she could.

"You wanna tell me what the fuck that was about?" Hannah finally screamed as she glared at Jason but then added when she heard her grandfather clear his throat, "Excuse me Nana and Papa."

It was one thing that the two lovers had been so close but never had the forethought to talk about the future. Heck, she and Billy discussed future children and life's goals on their third date. The fact that Jason Johnson and Maxie Webster had never even discussed wanting to have kids or NOT wanting to have kids in the future confounded her to no end. As it did Billy and the rest of the Watson clan. All of them weighing in recently about their adopted family's trouble.

The last ones to weigh in were Denny and Dale. They'd held their tongues no matter who brought the subject up. Finally this past week, they were at their wits end of trying to stay supportive but also mind their own business. Cameron's fears that Maxie was going to leave them being just too much to bear when he compared it to when his Mommy had to leave him.

No child should go through that. Everything was just building and building and the two adults in that nuclear unit were just mixing the perfect ingredients for a fallout to liken Hiroshima all because they were both too stubborn to do anything but grow further apart.

And Jacob. He adored Maxie. He hung on her every word and thought the sun rose and set to her whims. And she was the same with him. Noticeably Jacob had been handling the family's trouble in a similar manner. He was withdrawn, didn't eat a whole lot and tended to stay to himself. Exactly what Maxie had been doing for a while now. Using the new boutique as an excuse to stay away.

But in staying away from Jason, she was staying away from the kids. And the boys were suffering from it.

"I want you to answer me Jason Johnson. Why exactly does Maxie think that she's not good enough for you?"

Billy jumped in and defended his friend, hearing the commotion from the living room. Pretty much everyone had moved toward the kitchen and were just kind of milling around. "That's not exactly what…"

"Shut up" Hannah interrupted as she pointed the knife she used to cut the lamb with at her husband. "Jason is going to answer me."

"I'm going after her." Robbie spoke up from behind the group, already half way out the door. "Brittany, I'll be back in a little bit, or I'll call you."

The group turned to look at Robbie and then at Jason noticing Jason and Robbie's eyes connected. Jason's eyes were confused and worried. He gave a nearly imperceptible nod and said, "I'll give Brittany a ride home if she needs it."

Brittany, Maxie's manager of Georgie's, was now dating Hannah's brother Robbie. She was young for him but honestly really good for him. He adored her and was refreshingly sensitive to her age. The rogue bachelor, ten years her senior, was now the boy every father wanted his daughter to bring home. All because Brittany would smile in his direction.

The entire Watson family gave a sigh of relief when the change happened. And Maxie and Jason knew that Brittany was much more than the demure innocent she let the world see. She was very much strong and independent and Jason had heard her tell Robbie that he could either get his act together or get away from her. Since then, Jason never worried that the "Robbie" that dated Maxie would surface with Brittany. She was very much in charge of their relationship.

"Don't change the subject Jason, why exactly did Maxie say she has a shelf life that's up with you pretty soon?"

Jason took a step back as Hannah wielded the knife. His words stuck in his throat, he knew she wouldn't stab him but in his life, he'd also learned never to assume anything from anyone. It was the Enforcer in him that caused him to stand facing the weapon and be more than an arms length away from the threat so he could react. He held his hands out to his sides, ready for anything but his eyes belied his weariness.

"Honestly Hannah, I have no idea what she's talking about."

~*~*~*~*~

"When we were dating…you knew we wouldn't last didn't you?"

Sitting down on the swing under his grandparent's huge oak tree in their back yard, Robbie stretched his arm across the back of the wooden slats and curled them around Maxie's shoulders, wincing as he realized he felt no meat.

"I…I hoped, but I knew we wouldn't." He said as he pulled her into his side and placed a kiss to the top of her head.

To him **now**, Maxie was just like his little sister Hannah. She was his little sister who was struggling right now and he wanted to be the big brother that kept the tears at bay. He hated when Hannah would cry and right now, he'd rather stab himself than have Maxie start crying again.

When he caught up to her, she was halfway down the alley toward her house. He had to do double time to catch up with her and when he did, she was in full blown tears mumbling something about the five years being up. When she wouldn't stop crying, he steered her over to the swing. Anytime he was sad, especially after his parents divorced, he always found solace on the swing behind his grandparent's house. He hoped Maxie could find that too.

With a curt nod of her head and her trembling hand covering her quivering lips, Robbie knew that he hadn't answered correctly so he elaborated. "Everyone knew that you and Jason were destined for each other. I was only in the way of that. I had hoped my whole family was wrong and at first I fought like hell to be THAT GUY for you. In the end, I was only taking my disappointment at not being the one you wanted out on you."

He stretched his legs out in front of him and used his heels to start swinging the bench back and forth. "I'm not very proud of myself back then. I don't know if I ever apologized to you for the way I treated you."

Placing her hand on his thigh and patting it a few times, Maxie gave a slight smile, "You don't have to. You and I…You were running away from the demons of the war you saw in Afghanistan and I was running away from the demons of my own life."

"What demons are those Maxie?" Robbie asked as he brushed a stand of hair out of his face and tucked it behind Maxie's ear. Her hair was long now and the breeze was blowing it everywhere.

"I – I wasn't a very good person." Maxie kind of broken and hoarse started to explain. "I – when I was younger…back in New York…I didn't care who I hurt." She sighed and took a deep breath, burying herself deeper into the crook of Robbie's arm.

Robbie started a slow mesmerizing trail of his two fingers up and down Maxie's arm through her sweater. His heels were keeping time with his fingers strokes to lull Maxie into a sense of peace so that she could get whatever it was off of her chest. He didn't say a word, he just let her go, rambling on and on or long periods of silence as he rocked them on the swing, holding her to let her know she was safe, occasionally shifting to place a kiss to her forehead.

"I know you think I'm pretty selfish now but this is nothing compared to how I used to be. I was wild, always doing everything I could to make Mac crazy."

"Mac?"

"And…and my - my mom, of course." She stuttered a bit, remembering that Robbie didn't know their true identity.

"Bobbie, right?"

"Yep, Bobbie" she sighed, picking at the hem of her blouse where a stray thread was unraveling.

"Well, I was having affairs with married men, faking a pregnancy and throwing my fake child in the other woman's face." She sat up and looked at him. "The other woman was just as bad. Her child wasn't even her husbands but…well it didn't excuse what I was doing. I didn't know all of that back then. And I was…I was feeding the guy drugs to keep him around."

She sat back when Robbie showed no signs of shock or disgust.

"I slept with my best friend's boyfriend on a bet. She had really pissed me off and her boyfriend…well he was just too stupid. Oh and that same friend, I almost slept with her other boyfriend. I wonder if they are still together." Her thoughts trailed off to Johnny and Lulu.

"When my sister died, it got…I got worse. I was destructive. Mostly to myself but I didn't really care if others were hurt in my path to self destruction. One of the worst cases being Spinelli."

Finally speaking up after hearing more of her sordid past than he realized was possible in a woman so young, "Spinelli…that's the guy that used to come visit you guys right?"

"Yeah, he was my best friend. And Jason's too. Kind of…he used to work for Jason."

"Work? For Jason?" Robbie asked.

Maxie didn't even hear his question as she rambled. "Spinelli was my essential person. And then…then because I was so much trouble…I was – when the boys mother died, We left and I agreed to help Jason. You know Jason and I, we could not stand each other. We fought constantly that first year but the boys…we both adore those boys."

Robbie was trying to keep up with her ramblings but a lot of things were not making sense. Especially the part about when her sister died she got worse but then she said when the boys mother, which was her sister, died she started caring for them with Jason. And Spinelli worked for Jason? But Spinelli was a computer genius that worked for Apple's international division. What did that have to do with Jason who had always worked city jobs according to his grandfather. When she didn't answer him anytime he asked a question, he just pursed his lips and listened, scrunching his forehead as his only outward response when he didn't understand something.

His mind kept wandering. Her ramblings talking about a time that didn't jive with everything he knew about the Johnson and Webster family. And she talked like Jason and the boys had lived in New York when he thought they lived out west. Colorado or something. He remembered on a few occasions she would say things when they were dating that struck him odd but back then, everything was hazier from all the partying so he never put much thought into it.

"So that five years is up. And if Jason doesn't want the life that I want, it's really best now that I face it. I mean, it's confusing for the boys as it is. If I move out then they'll get used to it. I mean, I'm nobody to them…I mean uh I mean, sure I'm their aunt but…I'm not their Mom."

Pulling him from his thoughts, he finally spoke up. "What five years is up Maxie?"

"The five years Jason and I were supposed to stay together…uh…for the boys. Uh…to help them adjust. We weren't supposed to…"

"To fall in love?" He asked, knowing that was what she meant.

She stiffened. Nodding her head emphatically as the fresh tears she'd been holding slipped past the lash barrier.

"Love isn't everything" she whispered.

He pulled her in close and pressed his lips against her hair as he breathed, "But it's not nothing either."

"I'll be there for the boys so…so, I need to – to keep them in mind but…do you think you could go house hunting with me tomorrow. It's time" Her breath hitched as she said it, her own body betraying its shock at her words.

She cleared her throat and sat up straight, turned to look Robbie straight in the eyes. "It appears Jason and I have run our course. It's time I moved on. It's what's best for everyone."


	4. Chapter 4

Oh these two. *sigh* I just….

**Chapter 4**

Jason didn't even bother to wipe away the lone tear that trailed down his cheek. His sadness reflecting the mood of the whole house. He had kept his cool. Feelings were something that he had trained himself to keep in check for so many years. Never let them see what's on the inside. Only a stone cold surface.

But when Jake ran up to Maxie, tears freely flowing, screaming 'Don't leave me!', his walls crumbled.

Right now, he watched as Maxie cried and hugged the little boy's shoulders. He wouldn't let go of her legs. She tried to pull away but Jake would not let her out of his tightly wound grasp.

Cameron sat in the wingback chair Maxie had bought on a trip with Hannah and Denny when they went shopping for nursery furniture. It was his favorite chair in the house. He loved to sit there and read books for hours. Jason had carried his sleeping form from that chair to his bedroom so many times. But right now, he sat stoic, staring at his little brother and Maxie hugging each other near the front door.

He hadn't moved all day. He was reading a book on Greek Mythology by D'aulaire that Denny and Dale had bought him. However, Jason had noticed he really hadn't turned too many pages throughout the day. He was more interested in the boxes upon boxes and racks upon racks of clothing and personal items being carted from the house and into the van in the driveway. He hadn't said a word, almost dumbfounded that Maxie leaving them was actually becoming a reality.

But Jake, he hadn't left Maxie's side the entire day. He asked why they ALL couldn't move to her new beach condo. He wanted to know when he would see her next. He wondered who would tell him how beautiful his flowers were. How would he know it was time for school if she didn't yell that they had ten minutes? What would story time at night be like? Why would he have to do homework with Daddy when she was more fun and not so strict about it? How would his clothes get cleaned? Who was going to tell him stories about his mommy?

Finally, he flat out screamed at her that she wasn't being fair. Jason wanted to do the same thing. She wasn't being fair. Everything was going fine and she changed the game. She wanted something and if he didn't give it to her, she would hold their entire family's happiness hostage. And now that he refused to pay the ransom she requested, she was leaving for good.

None of this was fair.

He looked up at her, not caring that he stared blatantly at her expecting some kind of wavering on her part. She didn't waver. She hugged Jake, swiped the tears from her face and very calmly pulled the little boy away from her and promised that he and Cameron would stay the weekend with her. She just needed the week to get settled and set up their room.

It was at that point that Cameron loudly dropped his book on the coffee table and stomped up the stairs to his room. The house nearly shook at the force the boy slammed his wooden door and more crashes indicated that Cameron had become more like Jason than they realized. But a lamp or two, a glass mirror or torn up books and posters was no big deal if he could get his anger out and not hold it inside him where it would fester in a much more lethal way.

"You don't love us anymore." Jacob Martin Johnson spat as he heard what they could only assume was Cameron's entire book shelf being toppled to the second story floor.

"I…I love you boys more than anything in this entire world. I'll always love you."

"So you don't love Daddy?" Jacob cut to the chase and jumped on top of that elephant, ready to wrestle his life back.

Maxie's eyes snapped up to Jason's and the blue depths held each other for a long gaze.

Loving each other was definitely not the problem and both could tell with just the studying of each others eyes that was the case. Their love wasn't in question; it was their differing desires for the future.

Jason just stood there, with his back against the wall separating the living room and the kitchen, just like he had been for the past half hour as he watched her move from room to room with one last box, tossing in small items like her extra cell phone charger, a bill that was exclusively hers and one of her huge stone rings that she always wore because it was stylish but also complained about because it was the most impractical piece of jewelry ever made.

She looked under things and in things, removing any trace of her existence from the house muttering how she didn't want to have to come back. She didn't move any furniture, choosing to furnish her apartment with all new stuff. She only took what made their house hers.

And the sick feeling in the pit of Jason's stomach churned and gurgled at each thing he hoped she would forget but didn't.

An hour ago he put a fresh new hole in the wall of their closet when he asked if she was taking anything from _'their'_ box. He lost his cool when she stiffened at the mention of their sex toys and then became venomous muttering angrily, 'Would you want to use things that another man had used on me?' When his face bared the anger that suddenly swelled in him at the mention of another man, she smirked and said, 'Thought so'. He turned so quickly and punched the wall behind him, having to literally pull his fist out of the busted drywall. She simply ducked under him, reached up and grabbed his favorite pair of heels that she pretty much had only worn in bed since she surprised him with them, and nothing else, on their last Valentine's Day. Taking the heels, she looked at them, smiled a sad smile, obviously remembering that night, or others and dropped them into the box and left the room without another word.

It was a knife she had been digging for the past two weeks.

She took no time after that Sunday finding a place to live, buying it, making arrangements to move, setting up utilities and picking out furnishings and other household items and then preparing for this day.

Exactly two weeks after she announced that the 'shelf life' of their relationship had come to an end.

He didn't understand what that meant at first but during their argument about her moving out the next day, she mentioned that their agreement with the FBI to stay together was over. Five years had come and gone and he had completely forgotten that there was a condition that required they stay together for that long. He hadn't thought about any of that for so long. He didn't care about any of that. To him, they were together because they wanted to be together, not because they were being forced to.

And to him it was true. He WANTED their life. He wanted her with him and the boys. He didn't care if the FBI had required twenty years, or a hundred, her leaving was nothing he ever wanted to happen. Sure, the first year he practically counted out the days but once he realized he was in love with her, he never thought about it again.

The next argument was regarding security measures. He wanted her new condo to resemble Fort Knox. Maxie argued that her building had a manned door twenty four hours a day. She had an alarm for the doors and windows and that was enough.

Jason wanted her to have a bodyguard, wanted cameras and facial recognition programs tied to a computer on her building just like he and Spinelli had installed on both Georgie's Boutique I and II. In the end, Jason convinced her to allow Spinelli to arrange for securing her new condo and Spinelli did exactly what he asked in providing advice that closer resembled what Jason wanted.

Another loud bang from Cameron's room caused everyone to look up. The dining room chandelier shook from the impact. Apparently Cameron had just cleared his desk. It was highly possible the Mac Desktop Computer would need to be replaced.

Jason didn't care and had no desire to go up there and stop his son. Eventually he would expend all of his pent up energy and rage. He probably wouldn't hurt himself, but even if he did, Jason would simply bandage him or take him for stitches but the wounds would be nothing compared to the gaping hole Maxie was tearing in all of their hearts.

They had worked out schedules for the boys. Schedules for school, weekends, dinners, phone calls, shopping, outings and working at the boutique. Everything Maxie insisted on, Jason agreed to. The one thing he refused to agree to was that they would use the Watson's or Shaffer's to be the go betweens. If she wanted to spend time with the boys, she would have to see him too. She would have to come to the house to pick them up if she wanted to walk them to school. She would have to see him at the boutique if she wanted the kids to come do inventory. She would have to talk to him first when she called to say goodnight to the boys and he would bring the boys to her new condo and pick them up on the weekends she was scheduled to have them.

And he didn't really care that she didn't like it.

If they met for dinner, he would sit at the bar and wait unless Maxie came to the house to pick them up. And he wouldn't let them just run out of the house, she was going to have to come in. That was the only way he was going to be able to keep contact with her until he could figure out a way to fix this. He knew all too well from experience in the past that avoiding someone would make it way too easy to move on.

He was not ready to move on and never would be.

She didn't want him to come to the condo but he refused to cut the check for the down payment without seeing it first. It was an amazing condominium. Sixth floor view of the ocean in a fifteen story building. Views of the ocean from two sides in seventeen hundred square feet of three bedrooms with two baths a living room dining room combo with walls of glass looking out onto the ocean. Two full bathrooms and a large kitchen. It was under foreclosure and the owner offered for Maxie to buy it from him at a steal if she would just pay enough in cash to get him out of the credit hole that was killing him with immediate debt. She wrote him a check for twenty-two thousand dollars and then used the two boutiques as collateral to procure her own mortgage to pay the other three hundred eight thousand dollar difference. The place was worth at least a half a million, even in this market, but the guy would get out from under a mortgage he could no longer pay after losing his construction business due to the downturned economy. The guy would not make a dime profit but he'd walk away clean.

Jason had worked over the past four years to ensure that the boutiques had no debt aside from stocking inventory so her credit screamed excellent. She owned the building for Georgie's and Georgie's II was an affordable rent and she was already turning a pretty huge profit. She was a success and Jason doing the books ensured that she would remain that way. After the first year, he never had to use his money again for her business and even though she insisted, he refused to accept a salary for his accounting work.

Now, she was talking about hiring a book keeper and Jason told her that regardless, he would not turn over her books to another person. She relented, agreeing that when he came to do the books on Thursdays, she would be able to spend time with the kids. Besides, she provided him with all of his clothes now, even his designer jeans and t-shirts so that was payment enough.

Plus, he reminded her, she bought him the brand new Harley for his birthday.

Had he known four years ago when he started separating her money, setting up accounts for her business, investments for her and increasing her salary from the business that one day she'd use that to leave him, he would have never done it.

Jason had done all of this to teach her, to make sure she knew how successful she really was with her business. To make sure she always had something for herself, in her name, that she could be proud of because SHE had done it all herself.

Sure, Jason had helped with the books, did a lot of the heavy lifting in the beginning for free and used his own money to open Georgie's I but within six months it was all her doing. She never wavered when someone else wanted to buy a dress they'd seen on someone else. Never did she allow anything purchased through her store to NOT be one of a kind. And that built her a reputation within the elite community of the wealthy in the Tampa area. She was well known and her business thrived because of her tenacity and ability to clothe the rich.

The banks loan officer didn't even blink when she asked for a four hundred thousand dollar loan. The extra money borrowed would go toward purchasing all of the new household products from toothbrush holders to a spice rack to new marble floors and a huge cozy sectional. She was set up with a new computer that tied into all of the safety measures Jason insisted on and also tied into her business. She had new carpet put into the rooms and repainted the walls. She bought muffin pans and a George Foreman grill with the waffle grills so that she could keep up the tradition of making waffles for the boys on the weekends they were there. And paid extra for all of it to be done, delivered and the old owners to be out in no less than two weeks so she could move in.

Until then, she remained at their home and spent as much time as she could with the boys. Insisting upon being the one that put them to bed, fed them, walked them to school and did their homework with them. Any time Jason tried to help or step in, she would gently, barely audibly remind him that she wouldn't be there soon to do it.

Unfortunately, the boys, even though they picked out their new furniture for their shared room and even though they helped her pack up Prince's toys and dog bed and even though they watched her stack boxes in the garage for the past week, they didn't believe this day would really come.

And the devastation felt throughout the house right now was so palpable no one could breathe.

Jason had prepared the boys. He had talked ad nauseum in the garden with Jake, answering all of the boys' questions as best he could. Cameron was a lot easier. Junior had told him how everything played out when his parents divorced. He explained that his mommy and daddy had eventually stopped fighting and he got to spend a lot of time with his dad. That made Cameron more accepting of what he still hadn't experienced yet.

But nothing could prepare the nine year old and the six year old for the realization that Maxie and Prince were actually leaving for good.

Jason watched as Precious sat and waited for Jake. She too was losing her baby. Precious had become a surrogate mother to the Teacup Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. And she had whimpered around the house all morning at her own realizations of what was happening.

Popeye, of course, was oblivious and poked his nose in open boxes; tried chewing on the edges of ones that smelled like the possibility of food was in there, mostly lotions of Maxie's. Then went outside to bark at the men who were stealing stuff from his house.

Maxie was ruining everything.

Pulling him from his thoughts, Maxie cleared her throat and stood up. "I think Cameron finally exhausted himself but you should go up and make sure he at least hasn't knocked himself unconscious."

Jason saw exactly what he was feeling reflected in her eyes. To her, HE was the one ruining everything. He understood. He couldn't argue with her on that subject. But he had never played games with her and never once gave the impression he wanted more kids.

Their last argument was at Georgie's and Brittany had to take the kids, usher potential customers out and leave them to fight it out. That's when he discovered that she thought that it wasn't that he didn't just want kids with her, he didn't want kids period that didn't come from Elizabeth.

He was stunned silent at her admission of her insecurity. After all this time, she still felt like second best. He tried to convince her that it wasn't true. He pointed out that he wasn't the biological father of Cameron and he never treated him like second choice. And he didn't feel that way about Maxie. She didn't care to hear what he had to say. The boys both came from Elizabeth and they were the only thing he had left of her. To have a child with Maxie would mean to bring another child into the fold that didn't have any ties to Elizabeth and though she understood the sentiment, she couldn't stomach never being able to fill that part of him herself. Or fulfill her dream of becoming a mother. A dream she didn't know she wanted until her maternal urges engulfed her at watching her best friend give birth.

He thought about it for a long time. He mulled it over and over. He tossed and turned in the spare room that night and then the next day simply told her that in some ways, she might be right but that didn't mean he didn't love her completely.

Maxie listened as she ate the oatmeal and drank her nutrient filled latte, a promise she had made to Hannah after the woman threatened to kick her ass. She'd gained back five pounds in the two weeks time and was feeling better, health wise because of it.

Finally, when he'd explained himself as best he could, admitting to always loving Elizabeth, stating that he never imagined losing her or raising her kids on his own or even making a life with Maxie. But he also explained that he could no longer imagine his life without Maxie. He loved her unconditionally. He didn't ever want anyone but her. His life was perfect in every way. And that was why he didn't want another child. Because to him, their life together with the boys already somewhat self sufficient, and the dogs, and the lazy evenings in the lounger instead of burping, three am feedings and diapers like Billy and Hannah were doing, was how he wanted to live. He said as Godparents to Alison, they could get those urges cured in spurts instead of it being a fulltime situation.

Maxie had apparently heard none of that. She had apparently focused in on the only comment he wanted her to brush past.

She dropped her mug into the sink along with her spoon and bowl, looked him directly in the eye and said, "I want a man that can love me with his whole heart. Not keep a piece tucked away that's filled with love for someone else. I DESERVE that. You can't do it, you don't want kids and I do. It's time I move on and find that man."

That was Friday morning. They hadn't really talked since. There was no need to. He hadn't realized it but they absolutely wanted different things. He didn't know how it had happened but he HAD kept a little piece of his heart closed off from her. He didn't know when she had done it but she became a mature woman who wasn't needy, vindictive or naïve. She became a woman. And he couldn't deny that THAT woman deserved all of him.

Sure, she had faltered and gone back to her scheming ways to try to trick him into getting her pregnant but once she'd been caught, she didn't lie, she pled her case and fought for them just as much as he had. Only she fought for her version of their future. A picture opposite of the one he had in mind.

Jason looked at her skeptically. If he went upstairs to check on Cameron, would that be when she fled? Regardless of how she was tearing his insides out, she was damn well going to have to face him when she left.

As if reading his thoughts, she shook her head from side to side and closed her eyes. "I wouldn't leave that way."

And when she said it, he knew it was true. This wasn't the Maxie from years ago. She would say goodbye. She would remind him that Jake needed to finish his lunch before he could have the candy bar he'd been begging for all day. She'd remind him that Cameron needed extra lunch money tomorrow morning because his class had a field trip to the zoo. She would allow Jake to push the button in her car that started the engine like he always enjoyed and she would give Popeye and Precious a dog cookie like she did every time she left their house.

Jason turned and went upstairs, listening to Maxie explaining again to Jake that she wasn't leaving him, she was simply moving into a different house. That no matter what, she'd always be there for him whenever he needed her. He cringed when his son's cries and pleas were thwarted with 'I can't live here anymore Jacob.'

He quickly left Cameron's room after nearly being hit by a baseball that was on the boy's side table. When he opened the door, the room looked exactly like when he tore through the Quartermaines twenty years ago. Pretty much the only difference is that Cameron hadn't put a chair through his window.

For that Jason was grateful.

Cameron was crying into his pillow, exhausted and beet red all over his body. Every tangible item in his room was out of place. The only things not touched was the two shelves that Maxie had put up and helped him put things of his mother's, pictures, momentums and knick knacks that were special to him. The shelves almost eerily suspended, shielded from the total destruction of the room.

When he asked his son if he was okay, Cameron froze, turned and yelled at the top of his lungs that it was all his fault Maxie was leaving then picked up the baseball and threw it at the door yelling for his father to get out.

Jason would talk to him later. Not about throwing the baseball. Cam had gotten good enough that Jason knew that if his intention was to hit him, he would have. But the boy needed to talk to someone. Obviously, he wasn't as 'okay' with all of this as he had tried to portray over the past week since they had told him and his younger brother.

He walked down stairs and watched as Maxie showed Jake where she kept the secret stash of candy. Then she explained to the little boy that now it was his responsibility to make sure that Popeye and Precious got a treat every time he was getting ready to leave to go somewhere, as she gave the two awaiting dogs their cookies. She explained that on Tuesday she would pick him up from school early so that they could go to Home Depot and he could pick out the stuff to make her patio garden for her. Then she grabbed her purse, keys and the last small box off of the counter and headed back toward the door.

Jake took off for is own bedroom, Precious fast on his heels, but there were no slamming doors or falling objects. Jason and Maxie stood silently waiting for something, but it never came. After what seemed like years but was probably only a minute, Maxie let out a shaky sigh and reached for the handle of the door.

Jason looked around the house and realized, without her here, this place wasn't a home. She hadn't even pulled the heavy wooden door from its framed casing when Jason quickly crossed the room to her. He grabbed her and spun her around to him. She didn't even fight him as he pulled her body flush to his and enveloped her in his strong arms.

His lips descended on hers like a man who'd found an oasis after days in the desert. His tongue pushed through her lips and sought to taste every crevice of her mouth. His hands fisted in her hair and he savored her lips, nipping and biting and sucking on the top one as he tended to do.

He soon realized that though she didn't fight him, she wasn't reciprocating. He leaned back and looked into her deep pools of blue. Tears welling and ready to spill. His own eyes reflected the same pain.

"Don't" He tried to speak but his throat was filled with a lump he could barely swallow.

He cleared his throat and swallowed a few times, his chest heaving from the intensity of the moment. He loosened his hold on her and slowly ran his palms up and down her arms. It was the first time he'd touched her in weeks.

Maxie closed her eyes and in doing so, released the tears through her silken lashes. Slowly she pulled her arms out of his grasp and backed out of his reach.

Jason didn't even try to stop the tears from flowing down his cheeks. A man who was always such a study in contradictions, his face and body held its stone façade as his eyes exposed his torturous pain to the world.

She turned and pulled the door open, scooping down to pick up Prince. With everything already gone or in her hands she walked across the threshold and onto the front porch.

Jason followed her.

As she went to get in her Camaro, he grabbed her once again. Lightly by her arm.

"Maxie, I love you." He croaked. "Don't…I don't want you to leave." He finally pleaded, his voice scared and hoarse.

"I have to Jason."

"No you don't. You don't HAVE to do any of this." He argued but knew it was useless.

"Please" he added, not caring that his words were useless. "Maxie, I love you so much. I can't live without you. Please…please don't leave me."


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Promise of a Lifetime

Chapter: 5

Rated: M for sex and cussing...my two favorite things.

Date Posted: 08/18/2010

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters...well except Popeye and Precious. ABC gets and should take all the credit for the characters they created. Some of these characters are all mine. The story is just a little diddy of an old rambling mind.

Author's Note: I am sorry. I have no excuse. Someone posted a reminder to me this weekend that there are people that like this story. It caused me to open up WORD and get going this morning. Thank you for that GH Fan. I've not wanted to write in so terribly long. However, this story has so much more left to go. It's so sad right now and it's going to get worse before it gets better but here we go!

**Chapter 5**

Jason pulled out a much needed release as the sun was rising in Largo. As was the way it was every morning for the past six weeks, he was alone. Well, even longer than that but he was now counting since she left. The long midnight blue negligee he'd hidden when Maxie was packing didn't even smell of her anymore. He'd bought some of that perfume he liked on her, Chanel, but without her unique smell mixed with it, it just stunk like the rest of them. And even though it had always been his favorite nightgown, he soon realized it wasn't the nightgown that was his favorite, but the woman inside it.

He looked over at her side of the bed as he spurted his cum on his stomach and just sighed.

He was miserable.

And today was going to be shittier than the ones he'd been suffering for the past few weeks.

At first, he kept a positive outlook that she just needed time. She needed to spend time away from him and the boys to realize that their life together was so good. He'd talked to Billy who had confirmed that she was miserable but she wouldn't give Jason an inch.

Then just yesterday, he over heard Billy on the phone telling Hannah that he refused to go on a double date with Maxie and this new guy she had met. That was all it took to finally send Jason over the edge. He proceeded to get shitty drunk and trash the garage.

Today, he had to take off work to go to Cameron's school. Cameron, though incredibly smart and keeping up with his advanced classes, was displaying behavioral problems. Being two years younger than most everyone in his fifth grade class didn't faze Cam the other day when he got into a fight. Cam wouldn't tell him what happened but he and Maxie had been requested for a parent teacher conference.

That wasn't all though. The Watson's had decided to leave for their yearly trip early. Dale told him that he and Denny just couldn't stomach being around watching Jason and Maxie ruin their family. He and Jason talked for a while the other day before he left and the last thing Dale said was "_Jason, you've got to fix this. I don't even understand your side of the argument. Do you know what it feels like to be a normal, sane man and agree with Maxie Webster? It's just not natural. You need to suck it up, beg that crazy girl for your forgiveness and stop being so darn stubborn. I mean honestly Jason...I thought you were a smart man. That woman...well your life and those boys life just doesn't work without her. So FIX IT_!"

Jason knew the man was just being fatherly but Jason had been doing everything in his power to 'fix it'. The first week, he would answer the phone every time she called the boys. He insisted to always be the one to meet with her to drop off or pick up the boys. He insisted upon seeing her new condo and would just show up at the boutiques at odd hours to catch her.

He'd sent her two dozen long stem roses every Monday since she'd left. He'd leave notes professing how much he loved her and missed her in the register or on the inter company email, knowing she wouldn't delete it. Seeing it was from him, she would read it first to make sure it didn't have any business in it. He also would send things to her through the boys.

He tried running in to her. He'd pretend to be going to the grocery store next to the hair salon when she would be there. He would find out through Billy that Maxie was coming over and he'd show up needing to borrow a tool of Billy's. He even invited Mac and Bobbie to come visit, but they refused knowing what was going on between the two of them and not wanting to get in the middle.

Now he'd taken to having things imported in to give to her from the places they went their first year traveling the world on the boat. He was going to give her one of those items, a small figurine from the tiny town in the Caribbean they'd docked at for their first Christmas together. One of his first recollections of their really connecting.

He knew he was being clingy. He knew that THIS Jason Johnson was nothing like Jason Morgan, but Maxie wasn't like anyone he'd ever been with either. Unless he considered Brenda. Maxie reminded him of Brenda in the beginning with how much they fought. But now, he really didn't care if he looked whipped. He wanted Maxie back and he'd shove his pride aside to do it.

.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~.

Maxie didn't know what to do. All of her instincts told her to tuck tail and run back to the life she loved. The man she loved. Her family.

Ever since the entrepreneur who met her at her new store asked her on a date, she felt like throwing up. She said yes. He was handsome, lived in Boston and owned his own business. He reminded her a lot of Jessie but more refined and dripping with money. OLD MONEY!

He'd shown up two weeks ago to find a new suit for his parent's fiftieth wedding anniversary party. His luggage had been lost by the airlines. Maxie was able to get him in a tuxedo designed by one of Versace's signature designers and have it delivered the next morning. Her tailor met the man with the delivered suit at his hotel room and he was dressed to the nines, cuff links, cologne and all by the time he needed to leave for his parents gathering that evening.

He was impressed. Especially that Maxie had the forethought to also send over some everyday wear and travel staples, knowing his luggage was lost. He visited her at the new boutique the next day and then visited each day since.

She learned after the fourth day of his coming in for "something to wear" that he was only supposed to stay the weekend. He'd changed his plans because of a beautiful blond he'd met who had helped him out of a bind. He would bring her a coffee and a Danish in the morning and shoot the breeze with her. It was nothing short of swoon worthy.

It took him ten days to finally ask her on a date. He said he was shy and wasn't really good at those things. After ten days of his attention, she liked him. He was wealthy from his trust fund but also had a software business that kept him busy but could be done from anywhere. However, there really wasn't a spark there. She could see where there would have been, but Jason filled her heart and her mind and there just wasn't room for another man.

She wasn't sure there ever would be.

But something he said caused her to accept his invitation. In one of their brief conversations, he'd said he was ready to settle down and start a family. He was thirty four and wanted the two point five kids, the dog and the white picket fence. The American dream.

And he was considering moving down to be near his aging parents. As the youngest, he wanted to get as much time with them as he could.

It was like the perfect guy walked in her life and wanted what she wanted.

Except he wasn't Jason which was why she was sitting in her car outside of Cameron's school gripping the steering wheel so tight her knuckles were white.

Every time she saw Jason, she'd nearly palpitate her heart out of her chest trying to hold it together and be strong. Then once he left, unless she had the boys with her, she would cry non stop for what would seem like hours. When she had the boys, she would go to the bathroom to cry then suck it up and relish every single second with them.

Suddenly a light rapping of knuckles on her window pulled her out of her trance. She turned and looked up to see Jason standing there with a concerned look on his face. He opened her door and crouched down.

"Are you okay?" he said with such tenderness.

"Huh? Oh…y-yes. I'm…fine." She replied, swallowing the lump in her throat and willing her tears away.

"Well, we can walk in together, if…if that's okay." Jason said, standing and putting his hands in his pockets.

"Huh?" she looked up again. He'd startled her. She was trying to convince herself for the umpteenth time that this new guy was good for her and Jason was her past. The only problem was that he wasn't Jason. "Oh…sorry…I'm…"

"Distracted?" he supplied for her.

Maxie grabbed her purse and her keys and her cell phone off of the passenger seat and turned to get out of the car. Jason held his hand out and instinctively Maxie took it but then pulled her hand back as if she'd touched a hot stove.

Jason's face instantly fell and Maxie called herself all kinds of names. She didn't have to act like he was diseased. He was just being nice. Being the Jason she'd always known. Always a gentleman even long ago when he was a cold blooded killer.

"Sorry"

"I don't want you sorry Maxie" he breathed out. "I want you happy."

The tears started to water Jason's eyes and when Maxie looked up at his tender words, she felt like someone had just ripped her insides out. "I want you happy too Jason."

"I was."

.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~.

Jason couldn't get past this afternoon. Once they made it to the office where they sat with the assistant vice principle, the teacher and the other student's parents, Jason was able to focus.

And laugh even.

Maxie took one look at the kid who was nearly twice Cameron's size and announced to the parents '_I'm surprised you are even here. I would be embarrassed if I were you. Word of advice, get your kid in some self defense classes before he hits middle school. Next time he'll come home and he'll have been beat up by a girl instead of a little boy two years younger and half his size_.'

Of course Jason had to act appalled at her comment and then had to pretend to be disappointed with his son. However, once the truth came out, he knew in his days, he would have probably reacted in the same manner. Even though he didn't remember when he was younger, he liked to think that Jason Quartermaine stood up for himself. The kid rubbing it in that he's so young he couldn't reach the top of the chalk board was insulting.

Cameron had been going through so much and this kids taunting was the final straw so he decked him. Gave him quite a shiner. The teacher explained that Cam had him on the ground pinned by the time she realized what was happening and pulled him off of the boy.

In the end, Cameron actually should have been suspended but the parents didn't want to harm Cameron's eduction. They simply wanted an apology. Cam gladly said he was sorry. He didn't want to miss any school. He would spend the next three weeks staying after class for detention though. A punishment that Jason had suggested because he knew he wasn't going to punish the boy at home but also didn't want him to think it was okay to fight at school.

But then, he left. He'd gotten all the way down the street when he remembered he needed to go in and pay for Cameron's field trip that was coming up. When he pulled back into the parking lot, he saw Maxie, still in her car, crying.

He'd felt sick to his stomach ever since.

Now, he was going to go out. Once again, he wanted to drown his sorrows in a bottle. He headed out to a bar where no one would know him. He didn't want anyone who knew him to see him. He wanted to be left alone. He had a babysitter at the house for the kids. They were already in bed. He just needed to get away from it all.

Somehow, his truck drove him to her condo instead. He sat outside the building across the street. For how long, he had no clue. Suddenly a BMW drove up. A man got out and ran to the passenger side and helped Maxie out of his car.

HIS Maxie.

Jason instantly saw red.

He watched as the man helped pull her shawl around her shoulders. She was in a beautiful cocktail dress that was a bluish green color. Maxie would know what the color was called. She looked beautiful. He couldn't believe it but reality was setting in when he watched the man put his arm out to guide her with his hand at the small of her back. She leaned in to his touch.

Then they disappeared inside the condo building.

Jason counted the seconds until the man returned to his car. It took him fifteen minutes. It doesn't take fifteen minutes to walk a woman to the elevator. Hell she didn't even need him to walk her inside. She lived in a manned building with security. She was safe once she walked on to the property. Jason wouldn't have let her live there if she weren't.

Jason's stomach burned and his jaw clinched at the thoughts of what possibly could have taken him fifteen minutes to see her inside.

As soon as the man pulled away, smiling, from the condo, Jason peeled out of the lot across the street. He headed for the nearest bar and skipped his usual beer for whiskey.

Within an hour he'd drank six shots.

The bartender suggested he slow down but Jason gave him his tried and true death glare and the guy just set the bottle of Johnny Walker Black on the bar in front of him.

By one a.m. Jason was well on his way to being drunk.

And he was looking for a fight.

It wasn't hard to find and suddenly he found himself beating the shit out of three guys in the parking lot of the bar. Jason was holding his own but with three of them, they were able to keep coming at him.

It felt good. Every blow he placed, he imagined that well dressed pansy that Maxie went on a date with earlier. As he rammed his knee into someone's gut, he saw the smile the guy had on his face when he walked out to his car. His lips shining of Maxie's gloss. As he elbowed the biggest guy, he imagined breaking the glass to the BMW and pulling the punk through the windshield.

Every hit, every blow…for a man he didn't know but knew he didn't like.

Suddenly the familiar lights of the police brightened the bar's parking lot in red and blue. Jason immediately assumed the position he hadn't forgotten after all these years of living a clean life. He smirked when the guy that climbed out of the police car was a bald black man. Fond memories of his interactions with Taggart couldn't keep him from laughing.

That pissed the cop off.

Jason immediately went silent, as he'd always done. The three men got a slap on the wrist and a warning from the police because the bartender said Jason had started the fight and the other two were simply defending their friend. Jason couldn't deny it but he wasn't going to confess to it either.

Now he was sitting in a jail cell. His eye was swollen and he had a cut on his lip. It was swollen as well. He had a few bruised ribs but the pain felt good. The physical pain felt real good.

It was better than the pain he'd been feeling emotionally.

"Mr Johnson, your bail has been paid and you're free to go." One of the jailers said as he unlocked the cell.

"My bail was paid?" Jason didn't understand that because when they told him he could make a phone call, he refused.

"Yep, your girlfriend came down and paid it." The man said and led him out to a larger room filled with police officers and desks and in the center, standing in a light green jogging suit, hair a mess and red rimmed eyes was Maxie.

Instantly Jason's chin dropped to his chest. He hadn't made any phone calls because he was already ashamed of what he'd done. How did she know? He was just waiting…he didn't really know for what. He just didn't want to face anyone right now.

But Maxie was here.

"Come on…I don't want to be standing in public looking like this any longer than necessary." She said, always and forever worrying about her appearance.

"You look beautiful." He breathed. He couldn't help it. It was so easy and natural to compliment her.

"Yeah well, I highly doubt that." She rolled her eyes as she grabbed the envelope the police officer was holding out to her with Jason's name on it. "And you look like you just went through a meat grinder so I'm sure these kind people don't want to see us any longer."

Once they got outside, Jason took a deep breath. It was a habit he'd had since his days of being hauled in to the PCPD every other day. He hated being in jail. The sun was just starting to lighten the sky but it was still dark out.

"Maxie…"

"Don't worry about it."

"Worry about what?"

"Bail, it wasn't that bad. I kind of expected it to be more."

"What?...oh…how much was it?"

"I just had to pay your disorderly conduct fine. The other guys apparently weren't pressing charges so it was only three hundred dollars."

"I'll pay you back." He said shoving his hands into his pockets to keep from reaching out to her.

"Don't bother. Now, do you want me to take you to your truck or do you want me to take you home before Jake and Cameron wake up and see you like this?"

"Uh…" he didn't know what to say. He wanted whatever scenario would allow him to spend more time with her.

"Jason, I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" He looked up wide eyed. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I…I really don't have an excuse for this one."

"Yeah, you do. And I understand. It's my fault really. I should have…"

He took a step toward her and then retreated when she turned her nose up to him. He knew he stunk of whiskey and blood and the stench of the jail cell.

Maxie turned to walk toward her car and Jason reached out to grab her arm. "Can…can we go home and I'll take a shower and then…maybe…uh…maybe we could talk"

Suddenly scared she'd turn him down flat and leave him in the police station parking lot he quickly added, "Or at least you could get the boys ready for school and maybe you could take me to my truck after we dropped the boys off at school."

"I…" she turned around to tell him she had a web meeting with a designer that morning but when she saw the look on his face, the hope in his eyes, the love…she couldn't say no. "I'd like that. I haven't done a morning ritual with the boys in a while."

Jason let out the breath he knew he'd been holding and smiled. To him, that was a step.

.~*~*~*~*~*~*~.

"Jake was so excited to see you this morning making his favorite blueberry waffles." Jason said as he looked over to Maxie as she drove toward the bar where his truck was still parked.

"Yeah, and Cameron…you know sometimes he amazes me how smart he is. And how much he can talk."

"He's a lot like you." Jason observed out loud.

Silence fell over the car and it was uncomfortable but neither knew how to fix it or fill it. They each had things they wanted to say but neither knew how to approach the subjects. Finally Maxie spoke first.

"I feel guilty that you got into a bar fight last night. I should have just walked across the street and talked to you. Maybe let you know…"

"You saw me?"

"I can always tell when you're around." She sighed and it was true. She could always feel his presence before she physically saw he was there.

"What's his name?" Jason asked after letting that comment sink in.

"Preston Adams"

"Sounds very…"

"Quartermaine?"

Jason laughed a soft laugh. "Yeah"

"Do you like him?"

Not knowing how to answer she simply replied, "He's nice."

"Oh"

"He's not you."

"Oh" Jason's eyes widened. His head lifted and his shoulders straightened.

"But he's…he's nice and he…he wants the same things I want and…" she gripped the steering wheel tighter.

"Yeah" deflated again he interrupted, not wanting to be reminded of the huge ocean that lie between them even when he was so close he could smell her shampoo.

He stared out the window, not wanting to talk anymore. She'd said enough. Regardless of how they felt, she was looking for something more. He was going to have to learn to accept that.

Finally they reached the bar and she pulled up behind his truck and put her car in park. Jason didn't even notice the car had stopped moving.

Maxie let out a loud sigh, turned and unbuckled her seat belt before she lightly grazed his arm.

Instantly Jason's head turned to face her.

She took in his features. He was cleaned up and he no longer stunk but his eye was more purple and his lip was even more swollen. He had a rosy red bruise forming on his jaw and another on his cheek. She couldn't stop her hands from moving up to touch him. Her hands gently caressed his face and he smiled, leaning into the palm of her hand and closed his eyes.

How did they get here?

"I want to want him but I don't."

His eyes shot open and his crystal blue orbs locked on her deeper blue ones.

Suddenly she was in his arms, pulled from her seat and her body molded against him. His lips captured hers and he devoured her. Ignoring the sting from his cut on his lips he ravished her mouth over and over again. He licked at the seam and her mouth flowered open for him and all he could do was groan at the taste of her.

Finally they had to stop to replenish their lungs with oxygen. Again their eyes locked and Maxie smiled. Jason noticed the smile didn't reach her eyes. Something Jason always loved about her was how when she smiled, her eyes lit up and sparkled. She was always so expressive and when she showed joy or anger, she was the most beautiful.

"Jason..."

"Don't Maxie."

"Don't what?"

"Don't tell me once again how we want different things. How you're doing what you have to do to make yourself happy."

"I wasn't going to say that." she twisted in his arms but made no move to climb out of his lap.

"Oh...then what?" He said, running his hand up and down her spine. Just touching her made his heart ache a little less.

"Nothing...it's stupid"

"No it's not. I want to hear it."

"Is it cruel of me to actually find it endearing that you got into a bar fight last night because of me?"

Raising his eyebrow he pulled her closer so that their lips were mere millimeters apart. "What makes you think I got into a bar fight because of you?"

"Because you...well because..." suddenly her eyebrows knit close together and she pulled back a little to look into his eyes. "didn't you?"

"Yes." he took back the distance she'd created and then some.

The kiss was demanding and soon his hand was climbing under her shirt. She wrapped her arms fully around his neck and crossed them to hold him in place. The kiss quickly spiraled out of control and Maxie twisted her body to rub her chest up against his, eliciting a moan from Jason and his hips bucked at the feel of her hardened nipples through her tank top and his t-shirt.

His hands grasped her ass and lifted her to sit her directly on his growing erection. If he didn't know better he'd think he was dreaming.

"Make love to me Jason" she whispered into his mouth.

His response was to swirl his tongue around hers and squeeze her body tighter in his arms.

Finally he needed air and so did she. He rested his forehead against hers but kept nipping at her lips.

"Come home with me Maxie." He looked up into her eyes, hopeful. "I don't need my truck, I can drive you...We can take the day off, spend it in bed until the boys come home. We could...we could make those kabobs that I love and spend the night in our lounge chair."

"Prince"

"We'll go get Prince. Or...we'll go home first and then go get Prince when we..."

"Jason..."

"Please say you'll come home Maxie." Now his eyes and his voice were pleading. He couldn't hide the look or the sound of desperation. "I need you. WE need you. This doesn't work, none of this works without you."

She wanted to say yes. She wanted to go home more than anyone could imagine. She hated living alone. She hated sleeping alone. She hated eating alone and watching TV alone. She hated not having complete chaos in the house. She hated not finding ten pounds of dirt and grass clippings and weeds in Jacobs laundry. She hated not realizing every single night that Cameron was now much smarter than her. She hated not having Jason's arms around her when she fell asleep and her perfectly made latte on her bedside table when she woke up. Often with a freshly cut rose beside it when they were in bloom.

"Do you think there's a compromise?"

"A compromise? You want me to come to your place?"

"No...for us. Is there a middle ground? Is there a possibility that maybe someday you could want..."

Before he even spoke, she could see his answer. He closed his eyes and his shoulders dropped along with his hands that had been caressing her in that sensual way he knew she loved.

She quickly moved out of his arms and off of his lap.

"Maxie"

"No Jason, I can't come home with you. It's no longer where I'm supposed to be."

With that, she revved the engine, buckled her seat belt and pulled the gear into drive.

Jason sat there. He scrubbed his face with his hand. He was trying to figure out if there was a compromise but he knew there wasn't. You couldn't compromise on having a child. You either had one or you didn't. There was no meeting half way.

Finally, when there was simply nothing he could come up with to erase the past five minutes and get back to when she asked him to make love to her, he simply pulled the handle of the door and climbed out. He barely cleared the car when she took off, the door slamming shut from the speed in which she took off.

He stood in the empty bar parking lot and watched as she drove away.

His whole world was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Promise of a Lifetime

Chapter: 6

Rated: M for Mature situations like sex and cursing my two favorites

Date Posted: 10/20/2010

Authors Notes: Holy crappola…I just reread chapter 5 and I can't believe I left it there. It's SO SAD! These two are just stubborn, ornery buttheads. Things start to change toward the end of this chapter but…is it for the better?

Disclaimer: I own a new couch and a new recliner. That's about all you'll get though. Any character from GH is property of GH, ABC and Disney. Thanks for letting me borrow them. Please don't sue, I like my new furniture. :-)

**Chapter 6**

It was month end and Jason was coming to the Treasure Island store to do the books. Maxie had been a nervous wreck all day long and had changed her clothes and restyled her hair at least three times. All the signs that she still had it bad for the man were glaringly obvious to the store's manager. Sofia would laugh at her each time she changed. She was like a high school girl getting ready for her first date.

"He likes when I'm in skirts" she would say and go change into an incredibly sexy pair of tight pants. "He likes my hair down" and she would use a few clips and her hair would be up and wisping around her face, again looking anything but dull. In the end, Sofia figured she simply gave in to the temptation to make the man's eyeballs pop out of his head when he walked in the door.

Sofia, a woman in her late fifties who had finally won and kept the job as her store manager, kept her mouth shut. She knew from experience and from Brittany's advice to stay out of the Maxie and Jason debacle. Everyone now called it a debacle because the two had effectively and stubbornly put their whole family's lives on a permanent hold. Neither would move on and neither would give in. It was a horrendous stalemate of hearts.

The handful of times Sofia had met Jason, she could see in the younger man's eyes that he was dying from the inside out. Maxie on the other hand was literally killing herself. She was working herself to death and fighting a serious eating disorder at this point. She would eat horribly unhealthy but weight inducing foods to keep her friends from intervening but five double mocha latte's with extra caramel and whipped cream, fried cheese and ice cream was not what her body needed for nourishment.

The only times she ate healthy was when she had her boys. Sofia knew the signs from her own personal experiences. You eat healthy in front of people who will tell on you. Eating salads, chicken and whole grains in front of the boys kept her friends and Jason from hounding her about her diet. It was a horrible life choice but Sofia most of all knew that it was something that Maxie recognized as a problem and was the only person to correct it. And she'd seen that Maxie tried, she was just a complete emotional mess right now and until she worked through that, any kind of attention to the disorder from other people would be adverse. So the older woman watched in silence.

Sofia loved when the boys came to the store. She was a divorcee whose husband up and left her after he found a younger version. He duped her out of any of his earnings and she was the typical story of the rich woman who knew nothing of their finances, shopped all day, hosted charities, had tea with other country club women and woke up one morning with nothing. They never had children so she didn't even have their support to fall back on. Her husband had duped her into signing an iron clad prenup and she was broke and left with her Jaguar, their beach condo and a small savings account. This job paid her other bills and allowed her to also keep wearing the designer clothes she loved but at a discount.

For Maxie, she had the benefit of a woman who knew how to shop, had a keen eye for fashion and knew a lot of the women with money in that town. At first she felt sorry for the older woman because it seemed as if her "friends" would come in to the store just to see the woman working for a living now as if that was demeaning but their sales continued and even climbed because of it. Sofia took all of it in stride and actually confided after a while that she hadn't known what she was missing but her self worth and a job that made her feel needed and useful was making her happier than she'd been her whole life.

The woman had a good sense of fashion and was capable of following instruction so that was really all Sofia needed to make Maxie happy. Maxie was there for her and of course so was Jason and Brittany were a phone call away if she had questions. She'd trained with Brittany for a few months. Maxie felt sorry for her and gave her the extra hours to earn more money. Finally, the manager she had at G2 quit because she couldn't deal with Maxie's over the top way of running her business. An argument over not selling the same jacket to two different women and Maxie's final response of 'Because I'm the owner and I said so' caused the woman to quit. Maxie felt comfortable moving Sofia into the position with a nice raise, so now the woman was in charge.

"MAXIE" Jake shouted as he ran through the door, Cameron and Jason behind him. Sofia looked up and smiled at the two little boys' excitement to see their aunt.

"JAKE" she shouted back, quickly dropping the shoes she was holding and scooping down to lift the boy into a hug when he reached her.

"I get to be the goalie of my team" he yelled in her ear.

"You do? WOW the goalie, you're like the star then." She said as she lowered him to a standing position and leaned over to wrap one arm around Cameron and kiss his curly head.

"Yeah I'm the star and Precious is gonna be the team mascot. She has her own jersey and everything."

"They let dogs on the soccer field?" she looked up at Jason and he shrugged and gave her a half smile.

She noticed he was wearing the casual dark blue pants she had set aside for him at the other boutique with the soft blue button down Hugo Boss shirt she'd picked to go with it. His feet were casually covered with Casare Paciotti loafers. The ones she'd mentioned would go great with the clothes when she offered them to him. His hair had grown out a little longer. Its style reminded her of when he was on trial for killing Lorenzo Alcazar.

He checked his watch, a new one she didn't recognize, then walked toward the back where the office was. Not a 'hello', not a 'how are you?', nothing. She watched as he moved through the door and her jaw hung open for a few moments. This had been the norm for the past week or more and it was completely throwing Maxie into a tailspin.

"He didn't even say hello" she whispered but Sofia heard her.

"I thought that was the point, 'time for him to move on' is what you said to me just a few weeks ago after you bailed him out of jail." Sofia commented and then quickly called to the boys to come help her tag the new stuff that had come in from New York, immediately calling out to Cameron to ask if he was logged in to start entering the information into the computer.

It had been a month since their meltdown in the bar parking lot. They'd nearly had sex, nearly gotten back to that place where both of them wanted to be but she made the mistake of bringing everything else into that one moment. She should have just kept her big trap shut and made love to the man because at this point, she was nearly desperate for intimacy with a man.

Not just any man though, Jason.

She'd bailed him out of jail a few more times over the past month. He would get drunk and start fights but finally Jake and Cameron woke up crying because he wasn't home and the babysitter called Maxie because she hadn't heard from Jason. Maxie marched down to the police station and bailed him out for 'the last time'. He was a father and he damn well better start acting like it.

He couldn't argue with her so he just stopped going out to bars.

After one more date with Preston Adams it was Preston that told her that she wasn't the one for him. She was in love with someone else and no matter what he did, he would never compare to her true love. Maxie denied it, of course, but in the end, she knew he was right.

Now they were at a stalemate. Neither wanting to move on but neither giving in to their personal desires and goals to stay together.

The boys were doing better. Jake still clung to Maxie a lot and called her constantly. She taught him how to dial her number and now she would get calls at all hours, whenever Jake saw the phone, he'd pick it up and dial. He'd begged her to be Team Mom and she couldn't say no so then when Cameron asked, she said yes to him too. Cameron was really excelling in baseball and though they thought Jake would follow in his brother's footsteps, when it came time to sign up for t-ball, he saw some kids playing soccer and immediately fell in love with the game.

With the boys now in the fall and winter sports, Jason was kept quite busy as well. It was good for him. He HAD to stop wallowing in self pity and function for his boys. Maxie could only do so much with the two boutiques to run. She sponsored both teams and paid for uniforms that displayed her boutiques logo and was the team mom. She would send pizza when she couldn't show up for the games herself and make sure snacks and juice boxes were always there for practices. The past three weeks being incredibly busy since Jake was now in a sport too.

Jason and Maxie were cordial to each other and really put aside their own hurts and discomfort to be there for the boys. But up until the past two weeks, the tension could be cut with a knife and the misery written on both faces was obvious to everyone. However, in the past two weeks everything had changed.

Maxie still cried herself asleep at night and cried every time she saw him. She still dreamt of him and called the boys more often than she truly needed to just to hear his voice when she got home at night. It was unhealthy and each time she saw him or talked to him a little piece of her heart cracked more but she couldn't change it. She ached for him in the worst way.

Lately, she'd noticed that he was less inclined to hang around her or linger after a game or practice. Last weekend he called to say he had to work late so Billy was going to bring the boys to her condo for their weekend visit. Heck just last night, Cameron answered the phone and when they talked for a few minutes and she asked if Jason needed to talk to her about anything, Cameron had to go all the way to the garage to ask him and he said no.

She knew that he always stayed right there when the boys were on the phone with her and usually would be the one to end the call needing to discuss school, schedules, the boutiques' books or tell her he loves her and misses her.

Come to think of it, he hadn't even told her that in quite a while.

"I'll be back." Maxie grumbled and purposefully marched toward the office.

Sofia smiled. Her boss was getting a taste of what it would be like if Jason truly got over her. She knew he wasn't really over her. She would turn her head and his eyes would tell her the whole story. She'd never seen a man hold so much emotion and love for a woman in his eyes. But when Maxie was paying attention, he most certainly was acting like she didn't mean a thing. It was a game Sofia knew very well from life's experiences and from the looks of the way her boss had just picked her jaw off the floor then stomped to the office, Jason was most certainly winning.

.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~.

"I need to get these sketches that Benjamin Cho sent to me." Maxie harrumphed as she leaned over the desk in front of Jason giving him a nice view, first of her cleavage in the low cut Marco Zannini original she had finally settled on because it looked great with her Halston throwback mini skirt. She was in turquoise and black and her Tory Burch peep toe ankle boots with the five inch stiletto completed the ensemble to a tee.

Then just to make sure he got a great look, she leaned even further so that he got a nice long look at her ass in the tight mini and then once she pulled back, purposely dropped the faxed design sheets at her feet.

Jason, being a gentleman, leaned down and picked up the papers and straightened them up then handed them to her. "I'll be out of here in a minute. I decided I'd just put the books on this thumb drive and work from home. The boys are tired and pretty hungry."

"Oh well, if you want, I could order something in for all of us for dinner." She said quickly, disappointed that he hadn't even commented on how good she looked. Her hair was down and in big fat curls and she knew he'd love her outfit.

"Nah, I wouldn't want to put you out. We've got some left over lasagna that Denny made for us and Cameron has some science homework he needs to finish." He looked up at the monitor that showed the store register. "But if you need help, the boys can stay with you tomorrow night and come in to the boutique with you Saturday. Cam's game isn't until one and Jake's match is at four."

Jason purposely looked back down at the computer without glancing at Maxie. It was the toughest thing he had ever had to do. She looked so fucking hot and her shoes…God he wanted to have her, right there on the desk with her wearing nothing but those damn fucking shoes. Her hair and her perfume and her legs…he was getting hard just thinking about it and not looking at it.

It was all he could do to walk away from her in the showroom and not just throw her over his shoulder like a cave man and find the nearest flat surface out of earshot of the kids.

This _He Who Cares The Least Wins_ game Dale Watson suggested was going to be the death of him. Two weeks ago, during their usual after work game of pool he explained to Dale that he'd been trying, he'd been holding out hope, he'd been making sure that Maxie knew how much he loved her, but that nothing he did was working. Dale listened, he pointed out how Jason wasn't exactly handling things the right way for his family by winding up in jail and leaving his kids overnight with a babysitter. He also pointed out that the true issue to their problem was still not resolved. But finally, he suggested a tried and true method that he'd even had to use on Mrs. Watson back when they were dating.

He said that if he just started acting like all is well and life goes on, stop with the roses and the phone calls and the professions of love, suddenly she'd take notice. He said that he should still stick to their routine but not hang around or have conversations with Maxie that weren't strictly about the boys or the boutique's books.

Jason took it a step further and started dressing a little more like she appreciated but not so obvious that she noticed he was purposefully doing it. He was using the gel in his hair and letting it grow out a bit like she likes it. He was wearing more shirts with color or different shoes. For some reason those were things that really made Maxie take notice. Honestly, he didn't mind. He had tons of clothes she'd hand picked for him over the years. Mostly she knew his goal was more comfort than style so any shoes or clothes she picked for him were always comfortable. Like the loafers he was wearing now. They were really nice shoes. Besides, over the years she'd managed to change him from a jeans, black t-shirt and motorcycle boots only kind of guy.

But he wouldn't tell Maxie that.

"Oh, yeah…I guess I could do that. I mean, I was just going to rent that new movie that's out and go over some of the client list to see what I need to prep for with cocktail dresses for the holiday season."

"Cool well, let me just download today's invoices and I'll be out of your hair."

"You're not in my hair." She said sharply and Jason had to bite his tongue to keep from cracking a smile. "I just…"

She stopped, she was ready to cry and she couldn't do that in front of him. It would get them nowhere and honestly, he seemed to be learning to live with the way things were now. She couldn't be upset at him for that when it's what she's been telling him to do for the past few months.

"Just what?" He couldn't help it. The game was killing him and he'd only been trying it out on her for the past week or so. It seemed to be working but something in her voice…he couldn't stand the sadness in her voice.

"I just thought we'd eat dinner. You know…it's Thursday and all and…"

"We haven't had our Thursday dinner in so long. Besides, we're too far from the restaurant and…" He interrupted.

She cut him off hoping he might be considering it or remembering or something to let her know he still cared and wanted her. "But there's a really great restaurant two blocks over that has been open for about a month. The food there is really good." She looked down at the papers in her hands. "At least that's what everyone is saying."

Knowing this was a good sign but realizing he still had a lot of work to do to get her back, he sighed. "I don't think it's a good idea. It would only confuse the boys and like I said, Cam's got homework so. Maybe a raincheck or something."

He looked up just in time to catch her chin quivering but she quickly jutted her chin out and steeled her emotions, hardening at his rejection. "That's fine and if the boys want to spend the night tomorrow night, you can drop them off whenever. Just call me and I'll make sure I'm home."

"Uh…Billy and I were going to go help with the roof on the American Legion after work but maybe Hannah would be willing to drive the boys out to the beach. She was planning to have them at the house while we worked anyway." Jason stood and gathered a few folders and the big bank book along with his keys. He moved around Maxie, quietly taking in her fragrance one more time before he left her and turned his head slightly to get one more look at her ass and then letting his eyes travel down her sun kissed legs to the sexiest shoes he'd ever seen. It was going to have to last him for a while and he knew he'd be dreaming of her in that outfit tonight and he wanted to make sure his subconscious had a clear picture.

"Oh, then I guess I'll just call Hannah. Maybe we can take the boys to a movie or dinner tomorrow night since you guys are going to be busy."

"I'm sure she'd like that." Jason said then pulled the office door open. "Call me if you need me."

Jason never stopped saying that. Never in a million years would he ever want her to think that if she needed him he wouldn't drop everything and come running. Regardless of this ruse and never mind that they were broken up, if she needed him, he'd be there.

He walked out to get the boys and had them shuffled out of the shop when he remembered he'd forgotten the thumb drive. Honestly, he didn't need it. He was able to access the computer and all of its information from his computer at home but it was an excuse to see Maxie again and he was going to take it.

Sending the boys to the car with his keys to get buckled in, he turned and headed to the office. Nearing the door he could hear her soft sobs through the wood. His hand stilled over the knob as he took in the devastation he could hear from the other side. Dying inside he kept his resolve and simply leaned his forehead on the door jamb and listened to the sounds of the woman he loved crying.

He knew she was crying because he was being so crass and cold to her. She was crying because she loved him. Something he never doubted. She was crying because she was dying inside just as badly as he was.

He knew her outfit and hair today was specifically for his pleasure. He knew that leaning over the desk was to get his attention. He knew that she wasn't eating or was eating but not healthy. He could see the dark circles she covered up with makeup that showed she wasn't sleeping well. He caught her more times than not at the practices and the games using the words "we" and "our" and "mine" when talking to other parents about the boys and himself. He knew that the man she had a date with was the only man she's even attempted to have a date with and never went out with him again after that one night.

And he felt guilty that the woman he loved was on the other side of the door crying because he was playing games. The same fucking games that he hated all his life when women played them on him. The same fucking type games he used to warn Maxie would be their undoing. Now here he was perpetrating this lie when he could just open the door and tell her he loves her and wants her and…

"Jason, I know this is hard on you and it's hard on her" Sofia placed her old, worn hand on his forearm and pulled his fingers off of the door handle that he had such a tight grip on she was sure the steel was about to buckle in his hand. "But it's working dear boy. She just needs a little more time and a few more days of this. What you're doing, it's working."

Jason closed his eyes, failing to hold back the tear that leaked out and was rolling down his cheek. He allowed the older woman to pull him away from the door and once he couldn't hear Maxie's sobs anymore he turned and without a word, walked out of the building.

Sofia watched Jason walk away and sent a silent prayer that these two lost souls would find their way back to each other. Soon.

.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~.

The ball field was packed. It was a beautiful sunny day and with the fall came more comfortable climates. Maxie was thrilled to be able to try out her new collection of fall clothes she'd purchased when she took her brief trip to Paris to check out a few of the new designers lines. She smoothed her hand over her crisp hunter green capri's and looked down, checking to make sure the white wrap around blouse she paired it with didn't have anything on it.

She and the boys had a great night and they helped her at the store that morning. They played a game of I Spy on their way to the pizza place and then both boys regaled her with their current school studies while she ate a veggie calzone and the boys devoured a double pepperoni pizza. Everything always seemed so perfect when she had the boys with her to distract her.

As she finished inspecting her outfit, she bent down to wipe off the dirt on her white leather ballet flats and then tugged the matching white Anne Klein bag. Finally considering herself ready, she quickly glossed her lips and tossed the tube into her bag that also held her phone, a bottle of water, her keys and her wallet and organizer.

"Hey" Jason startled her as he came up behind her carrying a cooler and two duffle bags.

"OH" she nearly lost her balance on the edge of the sidewalk and the grass separating the parking lot from the community park.

"Woah" Jason said, immediately dropping the bags and cooler to grasp her arms, silently humored by the fact that Maxie was less stable on her feet when not in high heels.

His hands stung her and her breath caught in her throat when she realized it was the first time he'd touched her in weeks. He loosened his grip but took longer than necessary to let go, lightly stroking the insides of her bare arms with both of his thumbs.

"Daddy" Jacob yelled once he spotted his father standing with Maxie.

He ran from the playground where both boys shot out of the car to when they pulled into the parking lot. He jumped up, as he tended to do, and Jason had no choice but to let go of Maxie and move far enough away so that Jake didn't wind up kicking her in the process.

"Hey buddy" he smiled as he caught his son and scooped him up into his arms. "Did you have fun with Maxie?"

"I did. We watched all the Ninja Turtle movies and ate pizza and made chocolate covered bananas. Maxie has this new thing that makes popcorn without a microwave and then...then we had to give Prince a bath."

"You gave Prince a bath?" He interrupted as he turned his son so they both were facing Maxie. "Prince didn't go to the doggie salon?"

Maxie rolled her eyes and popped her hand onto her hip and attempted her best stern face. "Do you want to tell him WHY Prince had to have a bath Jacob Martin or should I?"

Jake's bottom lip immediately poked out and his chin hit his chest.

"What happened to Prince?" Jason asked, his curiosity now piqued.

"Well, I kinda thought...you know how you put that stuff that looks like salad dressing on Popeye where he bites his butt?"

"Yes, the stuff for his skin allergy that the vet gives us." Jason responded.

"Well Prince was biting his butt like that and I figured that the salad dressing Maxie had for her salad would work too so I kind of put it on her."

Jason laughed, "Jake, it's not really salad dressing and you know the doctor prescribed it for Popeye."

"Oh, he hasn't told you all of it." Maxie said, "Go on Jake"

"Okay now this part wasn't my fault, cause I can't really read a lot of words and Cam wouldn't help me and..."

"Quit stalling" she said and poked him in the arm with her fingernail.

"I really DID think it said powder Maxie" Jake defended himself to her.

"Jake, puh-puh-powder and fah-fah-flour don't even start with the same letters and you know your letters just fine. I still don't accept that excuse and you still owe me two more garbage days at the shop AND my condo."

"Wait...I thought we were talking about salad dressing?" Jason asked, clearly confused.

"Ummm..." Jake started

"Daddy, did Maxie tell you about Jake putting oil all over Prince and then putting a bunch of flour on him too. He was like a Pinata dog. You know like the paper machete we made of the planets for my science project where we used different sized balloons and then once it dried we popped them?" Cameron interjected as he ran up to his family, effectively spilling the beans on Jacobs little prank.

"Oh so THAT'S where you got that idea." Maxie remarked.

"NO IT'S NOT, I THOUGHT PRINCE HAD ALERGIES." Jake screamed at his brother and then pushed his way out of his father's arms and went to leave.

Jason caught the boy by the shirt and turned him back around. "Jake why would you do that to Prince, especially without asking Maxie first? You know you aren't allowed to do things like that without asking."

"I know" Jake pouted.

"So why did you do it?" Jason asked in a calm but firm tone.

"Because I wanted to."

"Well that's not a good enough answer so whatever punishment Maxie has given you, it goes for our house too."

"I gotta take the trash out three times at our house too? THAT'S NOT FAIR!" Jake stomped.

"Ha, you big dummy. Now you got even more punishment." Cameron laughed.

"And now that you just called your brother a mean name, YOU will have to clear the table for the whole week." Jason admonished.

"Wait...I don't want the boys to get in more trouble. It wasn't that bad Jason and Jake said he was sorry and agreed to take the trash out as his punishment. I don't think it's fair to add more." Maxie defended "And Cameron didn't call Jake such a bad name, I think if he says he's sorry and promises not to do it again, that should suffice."

Both boys looked up with pleading eyes at their father. Jason stood there, stone faced but then Maxie's own pleading eyes were his downfall.

"Fine but Jacob, if you ever do that again, right now in front of Maxie I'm telling you that I'm the one that punishes you. And something as easy as taking out the trash, which is already one of your chores by the way, will NOT be your punishment." Jason stated firmly and then turned to his oldest son "And YOU, I am tired of telling you to stop calling Jake names. If you can't stop then a serious punishment will be a daily occurrence for you. Do you two understand?"

"Yes sir" both boys said.

"Well now that that's settled, lets go watch Cameron hit a bunch of home runs and win the game and then watch Jake stop every soccer ball that comes his way and shut out his opponent." Maxie announced turning to walk toward the fields.

"Uh...I'm not finished." Jason announced, effectively stopping Maxie in her tracks.

She turned around and was surprised to see the stern, stone face reflecting at her. "I expect you to stop thinking everything these boys do is so cute and start seriously punishing the boys when they misbehave" before she could protest he continued, holding up a hand, palm out, to silence her "I know that you don't get to spend as much time as you want to with them but you have been spoiling them a lot lately and they've become worse and worse. You've always left me to be the heavy with these two but you've got to be the responsible adult. Especially since I'm not with you when you're around the kids anymore. If you can't do it then call me but putting oil and flour all over a two thousand dollar dog is NOT cute and deserved a real punishment like restriction to his bedroom for a week."

"But" Maxie started but then clamped her mouth shut when Jason simply turned and picked back up the cooler and then instructed each boy to carry their own gym bags and follow him.

An hour into Jake's soccer game, Jason walked up to Maxie who had been on her phone for the past ten minutes.

"Hey, hang on a minute Brittany." Maxie covered the mouthpiece of the phone and looked past Jason to see that the boys were okay. "Did you need me?"

The words hung in the air, he'd been basically ignoring her or at least being indifferent to her the entire afternoon. But did he _need_ her? Every second of every minute of every hour of every day of his life. He needed her in ways she could only be shown. He would _love_ to show her how much he needs her.

But for now, he'd continue with his plan.

"I was just going to say that if the shop needs you, there's really no reason for you to have to stay. You can go take care of business and I'll have the boys call you when Jake's game is over."

"What?" Maxie looked as hurt as she felt. "Why would I leave Jake's soccer game early?"

"Well you've been on the phone half the day I figured maybe you'd rather be somewhere other than here." He knew he was being cruel and his comment was a gross exaggeration but it was part of his plan.

"I..." she quickly put a finger up and spoke into the phone, ending her call. Dropping the phone into her purse she complained, "I can't believe you said that."

"What, you're obviously busy with other stuff. Just go take care of it and you'll see the boys some other time. It's no big deal."

"No big deal? No big deal? Jason, I love those two boys. I'm...I'm...I'm team Mom or aunt or whatever the hell. I can't believe after all this time that you could possibly think I'd want to be anywhere else when Jake is playing his first soccer game."

"Maxie, it's not that I think you don't care about the boys. I know you do but I just figured, I'm here so if you have somewhere else to be."

"Oh so that's it. It's not the boys or my work at all it's YOU that doesn't want me here. You don't want to be around me so you're trying to make me leave or feel guilty or..." she couldn't stop the lump that clogged her throat.

She immediately turned her back to him. This was the last straw. He didn't want her here and crying was about to commence.

Brokenly she whispered, "I guess that's my cue."

Slowly she started to walk away. He could see her shoulders shaking but she wouldn't look back. When she was half way across the field, he couldn't stand it any longer and put one foot in front of the other to go to her. Cameron running toward her from the playground stopped his forward motion. He watched as his oldest son stopped her, hugged her waist and then she dropped down onto the grass with him.

Jason watched them sit and talk for what seemed like hours. His eyes never leaving them. Finally, she turned around and came back to the opposite side of the field and with puffy red rimmed eyes, she never looked at him. Only at Cameron or Jake and started cheering like she always did. Cheering for her boys regardless of the fact that she didn't understand the game. Jason's only knowledge that anyone knew he was across the field was the occasional scornful look from his son, who wouldn't leave Maxie's side or stop holding on to her.

.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~.

Jason was in the middle of changing out the summer flowers to the fall mums of various colors and setting all of the pumpkins in between the beds of flowers at the city hall annex when the hair stood up on the back of his neck. He looked up to see Agent Thomas Raynor standing in front of him, dressed ridiculously like a tourist.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Jason asked as he rose to his full height, pulling his gloves off and tucking them into the pocket of his jeans.

"Well Mr. Morgan, it seems that we have a little problem."

Suddenly Jason's heart dropped to his stomach. He looked around to see if anyone was within earshot or watching them. His immediate impluse was to grab the boys and Maxie and run but without knowing what the problem was and being the same man who calmly worked through all of Sonny's disasters over the years, he took a deep breath and squared his shoulders.

"And what problem would that be."

"Well it seems that one of the most notorious hitmen the mob has ever known went underground about five years ago and never was heard from again. All signs pointed to his death and he fell so far off the radar that everyone in organized crime, including the Russian Mafia and Anthony Zacharra completely gave up on searching for him and his family. And a little blonde that knew too much appeared to have disappeared so she was safe too."

"What's your point?" Jason asked, tense and not wanting to play games with the guy any longer.

"Well it seems this man who's been given a second chance at life has recently decided to get himself arrested by the local cops in this po-dunk town and now the Zacharra's seem interested in vacationing in the area." Thomas Raynor pointed down to a map of the Tampa Bay area and looked up at the street sign, playing his part as the tourist asking directions when a few people walked by him. "And this morning, Johnny Zacharra's moll and her daughter-in-law, who happens to be your second cousin, went shopping in Georgie's Couture."

Jason felt faint. All of the blood drained from his body and he had to literally focus to keep his knees from buckling. What the fuck had he done?

"But…but…Johnny never went after me and he was friends with Maxie. Maybe this is all just a coincidence." Jason prayed he was right, if he had been the cause to put his family in danger after all this time, he'd never forgive himself. Johnny had never targeted him and they were even pretty friendly and had worked together before he left Port Charles but nearly two years ago he watched the man point blank kill his own sister. He was obviously running the organization and could very easily be looking for Jason and Maxie as a peace offering to the Russians.

"That's just it Mr. Morgan"

"Johnson" Jason interrupted.

"Whatever, if your cover is blown you could be going as Dale Earnhardt Junior and Lady Gaga and it would still be Jason Morgan and Maxie Jones that the hired killers were looking for and regardless of what the people around here call you two…it would be you two those men would find and kill."

Jason let out a breath and looked down, making show of taking the map from the "tourist" and turning around to face west when more people walked by. He didn't want to go back to being on the run, he didn't want to leave here and he didn't want to have to do what this asshole told him to anymore. However, Maxie, Cameron and Jacob were the only three things that could make him bark like a dog if the man standing next to him told him to. Their safety was paramount to his happiness. Hell, if they could stay safe by his turning himself over to the Zacharra's right now, he'd gladly do so and never regret it to his last breath.

"What do I need to do?" Jason asked realizing that once again, he was at the FBI's mercy.

"For right now, you need to be alert, wait for my call and keep your family out of public places." Agent Raynor dropped a microchip from his hand into the rich black soil Jason was using to plant the fall flowers. "And get Maxie out of that boutique now and back home Mr. Morgan. She's not safe and needs your protection."

Just then Jason's phone rang. He looked down at the caller ID and panic drove through him. It was Maxie and after their past couple of weeks, him still pretending like he was through with her, she would have never called him unless it was truly important.

"Maxie, are you okay?" His words were rushed and his lungs burning from holding his breath.

"Jason" she whispered from under her desk in the office of the boutique "they've found us."


End file.
